Man arrested in California in connection with the death of beloved New Jersey veterinarian
An Oregon man was taken into custody this week in connection with the death of a veterinarian in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the Office of the Camden County prosecutor and Cherry Hill police chief announced on Friday.
Cristian Custodio-Aquino, 27, of Portland was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 45-year-old Dr. Michael Anthony, the release from the Office of the Camden County prosecutor said.
"The investigation revealed the suspect had previously been intimately acquainted with the victim's partner," the Camden County Prosecutor's Office told CBS Philadelphia on Saturday.
Cherry Hill officers responded to the 100 block of Sharrowvalle Road on Dec. 10, 2024, and found an unconscious man who was identified as Anthony. He suffered multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, the release said.
An affidavit from the Cherry Hill Township Municipal Court on Feb. 7, states detectives reviewed surveillance footage and observed Anthony walking outside around 5:24 a.m. and heard multiple loud screams around 5:53 a.m. The affidavit also mentions a pair of eyeglasses were found near Anthony who was bleeding heavily and found in the front yard of his home.
With the investigation of the eyeglasses found at the scene, "detectives learned the prescription of the lenses and that the frames had been sold in Washington State," the affidavit said. Detectives also learned from a retailer in Washington that Custodio-Aquino bought a pair of eyeglasses that matched the prescription of the pair found at the scene, according to the affidavit.
Anthony, a well-known veterinarian in South Jersey and owner of Haddon Vet, had a reputation for treating his furry patients with care and compassion. Pet owners who came to his clinic for years remembered his deep commitment to animals and their families.
Camden County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit and Cherry Hill Police Department detectives had an investigation in the following weeks and the release said they identified Custodio-Aquino as the person responsible for the homicide.
Custodio-Aquino was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force – Fresno Division in Fresno, California on Tuesday.
He was charged on Feb. 7 and remains in the Fresno County Jail awaiting to be extradited to New Jersey, as said in the release.
Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Daniel Crawford of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit at (856) 580-2223 and Detective Frank Kirsch of the Cherry Hill Police Department at (856) 432-8834. Tips can also be sent to CAMDEN.TIPS.
