NEW CITY – A New Jersey man has entered a guilty plea to a manslaughter charge stemming from a 2019 murder in Spring Valley. Rockland County DA Tom Walsh announced the plea on Wednesday, May 11.
On May 10, Jayden Rodriguez, 19, of North Bergen, NJ pled guilty to one count of manslaughter in Rockland County Court for causing the death of Emerson Jean-Baptiste on September 1, 2019.
Rodriguez admitted in court that on or about September 1, 2019, he entered a Spring Valley apartment building and fired numerous shots at an individual identified as Emerson Jean-Baptiste, ultimately causing his death.
Rodriguez was arrested the following day by the Village of Spring Valley Police Department with the assistance of the City of North Bergen Police Department. The firearm used in the course of the crime was recovered in an unrelated matter several days later by the Town of Haverstraw Police Department.
Walsh said, “This guilty plea will hopefully bring closure to our victim’s family and friends. My office has worked diligently with the Spring Valley Police Department to prosecute this case and ensure that the defendant be brought to justice. I commend the professionalism of all of our law enforcement agencies, working together to do just that. We must remember our victim, Emerson Jean-Baptiste lost his life at the hands of a killer.”
Sentencing for Rodriguez has been scheduled for July 19, 2022.
