Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

25 Kirkpatrick Street, 3^rd Floor, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 (732) 745-3300

*News Release* Date: September 25, 2009

Woman charged with robbery following death of New Brunswick man

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan and New Brunswick Police Director Anthony A. Caputo today announced the arrest of a woman who was charged with endangering and robbing a man, who died after he fell on a city street during a dispute.

Norma Gonzalez, (DOB 6/2/63) who has no known address, was arrested and charged following the death on September 24, 2009, of Eliseo Puga, 48, of Suydam Street, New Brunswick.

Puga was pronounced dead at 9:52 p.m. at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

An autopsy performed by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office preliminarily determined that Puga did not die from falling, or as a result of foul play, but the cause of death was inconclusive, pending the results of toxicological testing.

An investigation by Detective Kenneth Abode of the New Brunswick Police Department, and Investigator Scott Crocco of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, revealed that Gonzalez and Puga were arguing outside an apartment building at 129 French Street, shortly before 9:15 p.m.

Gonzalez took a bottle of rum from Puga during the argument, which involved some pushing and shoving. At some point, Puga fell to the ground and was incapacitated. Rather than help the victim, Gonzalez left the scene.

Police, alerted by a 911 call, arrested Gonzalez on charges of second degree robbery and third degree endangering an injured victim.

She was being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center after bail was set at $100,000, no 10 percent.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Detective Abode at (732) 745-5200, or Investigator Crocco at (732) 745-4471.

As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Gonzalez are merely accusations and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty.