Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of JOSHUA ALVARADO (DOB: 6/22/1994; single; unemployed) of New York, NY on charges of murder, felony murder, armed burglary, weapons offenses, aggravated assault, and theft. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Acting Chief Matthew Finck and the Englewood Police Department under the direction of Chief Thomas Greeley.
As previously reported, on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at approximately 5:55 a.m., the Englewood Police Department responded to a 911 call from 6 Mevan Avenue reporting a shooting within the residence. Responding officers found 35-year-old Jason Hidalgo of Bronx, New York, inside the residence deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Englewood Police Department was initiated and revealed that JOSHUA ALVARADO shot Jason Hidalgo and fled the state.
A months-long investigation by detectives of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Englewood Police Department continued in pursuit of JOSHUA ALVARADO and determined that he ultimately fled the United States of America in the days following the murder. As a result of diligent and relentless efforts by detectives and assistant prosecutors, ALVARADO was located and arrested in Medellin, Colombia on Saturday, February 17, 2024, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the Colombian National Police.
JOSHUA ALVARADO was charged with first-degree murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3(a)1; first-degree felony murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(3); second-degree armed burglary, N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2b(1); second-degree possession of a weapon (certain persons), N.J.S.A. 2C:39-7b; second-degree aggravated assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1); second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a(1); second-degree possession of a firearm without being licensed to do so, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5a; and third-degree theft, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3a. ALVARADO is currently in custody in Colombia and is pending extradition back to the State of New Jersey.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Englewood Police Department, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Department of Justice, the Colombian National Police, and the government of Colombia for their assistance in this investigation.
