Following Death of Senior Citizen in Union City Robbery, Prosecutor Charges 23-Year Old With Murder

Nearly a week after being robbed on a Union City street, a 79-year old senior citizen has died from his injuries, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit has charged a 23-year-old with murder.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has announced a significant development in a recent Union City crime. A 23-year-old individual, Isaiah Grey, has been charged with murder following the death of a robbery victim.

In the early hours of November 16, 2023, Union City Police Department officers found an unresponsive male, later identified as 79-year-old Jorge Moctezuma Espinoza, at the intersection of 37th Street and Bergenline Avenue. Espinoza, suffering from upper body injuries, was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center.

Initially, Grey was arrested and charged with Attempted Murder, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Endangering an Injured Victim. However, following Espinoza’s death on November 22 and the subsequent autopsy report revealing blunt impact injuries to the head as the cause, the charges were escalated to Murder and Murder During the Commission of a Robbery, both first-degree crimes.

Grey, who has been detained at the Hudson County Correctional Facility since the initial arrest, now faces these additional charges. Prosecutor Suarez has commended the Homicide Unit and the Union City Police Department for their diligent work in the investigation and arrest.

It is important to note that these charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, as per R.P.C.3.6(b)(6).

As the community reels from this tragic event, the legal proceedings are closely watched, promising further updates on this developing story.