Suspect in Union Deli Killing Turns Himself In

The suspect in the killing of a deli owner on Springfield Avenue in Union turned himself in Elizabeth on Tuesday, Dec. 10, according to the Union County Prosecutor's Office. Daivon Brinson, 20, of Newark, was charged with murder, robbery and weapons offenses. After being arrested, he was taken by police to a hospital to be treated for injuries possibly sustained during the fatal struggle. Brinson is now being held in Union County Jail on $750,000 bail. 

On November 30, a customer found the body of deli owner Mohinder Singh at 2 p.m. at the Three Stooges Supermarket deli in the 2100 block of Springfield Avenue in Union. 

The shop is on a route heavily traveled by area residents heading to the nearby Target, Whole Foods and Home Depot.

The Union police did not release the cause of death. They reported the suspect left a trail of blood and exited through the back door. Union County assistant prosecutor Al Cernadas stated at an on-site news conference on November 30, that the crime appeared to have resulted from a robbery or argument.

Union police did find a weapon at the scene but have not yet released the cause of death.

On December 1, Patch visited the site of the murder as a neighbor was dropping off a note in memory of the victim. The neighbor, who did not want to identify himself called the media attention "disgusting." "A man is dead," he said. He also said that cautioning locals to lock doors and windows was unnecessary. "This is a safe neighborhood." 

The note read, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and Wisdom to know the difference."

On the ground in front of the entry door to the deli were a smattering of plants, flowers, another note and a statue of the Virgin Mary.