A teenager was shot and killed when he tried to chase after two robbers who allegedly stole his brother's cell phone in Jersey City early Friday morning, his family says.
Muhammed Choudhry, 18, was inside his Virginia Avenue home with his family preparing food for the Ramadan holiday at about 3 a.m. Friday, according to his family. His older brother, Yassir, was sitting on the front stoop when two men approached him and demanded his cell phone.
"He say 'Give me your phone.' I say 'no,'" said Yassir Choudhry.
The robbers took the phone anyway, and Yassir called up to his brother, Muhammed, on the balcony. Muhammed saw the commotion and rushed downstairs to help.
The two ran after the robbers, and two blocks into the chase, one of the men pulled out a gun, according to family. He fired one shot, killing Muhammed.
Prosecutors announced Friday night that 18-year-old Heru Amun'Tehu of Jersey City was arrested in the killing, charged with murder and robbery. His bail was set at $250,000.
Attorney information wasn't immediately available.
Choudhry had just graduated high school and was looking forward to college. Friends said his family had just moved from Pakistan to pursue their American dream.
"It's outrageous. Just for a cell phone, you can just go ahead and kill someone — it's really sad," said family friend Saeed Mohammed.
"Ramadan tells us to to be patient and feel for other people who are hungry, who are suffering out there," he added. "I can't tell how the family's feeling. Definitely they're devastated."
Proseuctors are continuing to investigate; it's not clear if the other suspect has been identified.