Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of 20-year-old CHRISTIAN V. CEPEDA of Paterson, NJ; 20-year-old DANTE N. BRAXTON of Paterson, NJ; and 20-year-old ELIAS X. MONTANEZ of Elizabeth, NJ on various charges stemming from a November 2024 incident in Garfield, NJ. The arrests were the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, and the Garfield Police Department, under the direction of Officer-in-Charge Joseph Delaney.
On Sunday, November 17, 2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the Garfield Police Department responded to a suspicious incident involving individuals wearing masks on the 400 block of River Drive. Responding officers came upon the suspects who immediately fled in a Nissan Altima. An occupied Garfield Police Department SUV was struck by the Altima, and the occupants bailed out to continue fleeing from the police on foot.
The first suspect, later identified as CHRISTIAN V. CEPEDA, was apprehended by officers during the ensuing foot chase. The remaining two occupants of the Altima fled in different directions. The second suspect ran northbound on River Drive while the third suspect ran to a nearby parked Honda Accord. Garfield Police Officers closed in on the third suspect who entered the Accord. Officers on foot confronted the third suspect, who was now behind the wheel of the vehicle. The third suspect then drove off, dragging one officer and striking another. Both the second and third suspects had escaped, and three Garfield Police Officers suffered various injuries.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit was notified, responded to the scene, and initiated a joint investigation with the Garfield Police Department. During the investigation, a court-authorized search of the Nissan Altima revealed two firearms, both loaded with large capacity magazines, one of which contained several hollow-point bullets. Detectives also recovered several cell phones.
On November 18, 2024, as a result of the preliminary investigation, CHRISTIAN V. CEPEDA, who was taken into custody during the incident, was charged with seven offenses, namely two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1); one count of third-degree receiving stolen property, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7a; two counts of fourth-degree possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3j; one count of fourth-degree possession of hollow nose ammunition, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3f(1); and once count fourth-degree resisting arrest, N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2a(2). Subsequently, CEPEDA made a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ and was ordered released on November 27, 2024, pending further court action.
As a result of the continuing investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Garfield Police Department, detectives identified DANTE N. BRAXTON as the second suspect who ran north along River Drive during the foot chase, and ELIAS X. MONTANEZ as the third suspect who fled on foot before escaping in the Honda Accord that struck the Garfield Police Officers.
On February 4, 2025, a Bergen County Grand Jury handed up a ten-count indictment, charging CHRISTIAN V. CEPEDA, DANTE N. BRAXTON, and ELIAS X. MONTANEZ each with two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1); one count of third-degree receiving stolen property, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7a; two counts of fourth-degree possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3j; one count of fourth-degree possession of hollow nose ammunition, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3f(1); and once count fourth-degree resisting arrest, N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2a(2). Additionally, the Bergen County Grand Jury voted to further charge MONTANEZ with two counts of second-degree aggravated assault of a police officer, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(6); and one count of third-degree resisting arrest, N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2b.
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, with assistance from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, DANTE N. BRAXTON and ELIAS X. MONTANEZ were taken into custody at the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, NJ, after appearing in court for an unrelated matter. BRAXTON and MONTANEZ were remanded to the Bergen County Jail, pending their first appearances in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.
Prosecutor Musella states that all the charges in this matter are merely accusations, and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Garfield Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
