Two fugitives arrested in Camden homicides

Posted: November 21, 2012

A task force this morning arrested two fugitives facing charges in separate homicides in Camden earlier this year.

Donte Jones, 24, and Joseph Curtis, 22, both of Camden, were picked up by the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Fugitive Task Force a day after authorities charged the two suspects in the unrelated shooting deaths, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and city police said.

Jones had been charged with murder in connection with the May 31 death of Kishaun Burks, 23, also of Camden. Burks was found suffering from gunshot wounds at the intersection of Roberts and Roberts Streets in Lanning Square around 4:30 p.m. He died shortly afterward at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

Curtis was one of five men charged with aggravated manslaughter for their roles in a gang-related shootout on July 10 that claimed the life of Robert Carstarphen, 27, of Camden.

The four other suspects are already in custody.

The suspects were among two groups of Bloods street gang members who met in the alley near Sixth and Royden Streets, a notorious drug corner in the Lanning Square neighborhood, around 2 p.m. A squabble over drug turf erupted in gunfire.

The next day, July 11, two other Camden residents were killed in retaliation.

In all, 13 people were killed in the city in July, the most since 1949 when Howard Unruh went on his notorious River Avenue shooting spree, also killing 13.

Contact Darran Simon at 856-779-3829 or at dsimon@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @darransimon.

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