2 Plead Guilty To Firing Shots In 2019 Fatal Shooting In Bergen: Cops

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Two men pleaded guilty to charges linked to the armed robbery and fatal shooting of a Fairview man in 2019, according to authorities.

Raul Torres, of North Bergen; and Carlos Burgos, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty Friday to entering the apartment of David Duque Soto on June 29, 2019, while they were armed with loaded handguns, and shooting at the victim, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

The victim, Soto, was shot while the co-conspirators were looking for drugs and money, Patch reported.

Torres and Burgos were principal to the pre-planned robbery of Soto, and stand to be sentenced to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison as a condition of their pleas, Musella said.

The Hudson County men are the latest defendants to plead guilty in this multi-defendant case, the prosecutor's office said.

Last month, a jury convicted David Martinez of felony murder for his role in the shooting death of Soto, and of other offenses related to the incident, Patch reported. Martinez, of North Bergen, is scheduled for sentencing on April 28, 2023.

Another North Bergen man, Lexie Burke, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to charges in connection with the 2019 shooting, and was recommended a sentence of up to 30 years in state prison, according to a report and the prosecutor's office.

Torres and Burgos, like Burke, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Torres and Burgos also pleaded guilty to weapons offenses, the prosecutor's office said.