Two Hopewell Valley teens arrested for allegedly killing a man they intended to rob
Two teens from Hopewell Valley have been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a man at the Hopewell Valley Nature Preserve.
A 16-year-old from Pennington and a 17-year-old from Hopewell were taken into custody Friday afternoon and are charged with murder, felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses, law enforcement officials said.
Two Mercer County teens have been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man in the Hopewell Valley Nature Preserve.
Officials say a 16-year-old from Pennington and a 17-year-old from Hopewell were taken into custody Friday afternoon and are charged with murder, felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses.
The shooting happened Dec. 17th about 7 p.m. The preserve is located off of Harbourton-Woodsville Road.
Law enforcement officials said the teens lured the victim, identified as 20-year-old Philip Urban of Manalapan, to the preserve with the intention of robbing him of a quarter pound of marijuana worth about $800.
After the robbery, the teens allegedly shot and killed Urban, law enforcement officials said.
Police found Urban inside a vehicle, slumped over. He was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he died.
The teens’ identities are being withheld because they are minors. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office is looking into whether it is appropriate to seek a waiver to adult court. The two teens are being held at the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.