Homeless men in NJ robbed and killed ‘acquaintance,’ police say
ELK — Two men have been arrested and charged in the murder of a man who was bound while the two robbed him of an ATM card and money, prosecutors say.
Investigators say the men knew their victim.
Thomas J. Bergholz, 33, of the Franklinville section of Franklin Township, and Lawrence A. Bohrer, 47, of Pittsgrove, were charged with first-degree murder, robbery and criminal restraint, according to Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton.
Dalton said the murder happened sometime around March 10 and that the victim, 57-year-old Michael Fazzio, had been exposed to "the risk of serious bodily injury" during the robbery. An autopsy determined Fazzio's cause of death was mechanical and positional asphyxia.
Bergholz was found at a homeless shelter in Camden, while Bohrer was found at a relative's home in Philadelphia. He was taken into custody with the help of the U.S. Marshal's Service and the Philadelphia Police Department.
Bergholz is being held at the Salem County Jail while awaiting a detention hearing. Bohrer was being held in Philadelphia awaiting extradition to New Jersey. Dalton said both men are unemployed and that he will see to have both men held without bail.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Det. Anthony Garbarino of the prosecutor's office at 856-384-5619, or Det. Steven Wojciechowski of the Elk Police Department at 856-881-1101.
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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com