Mercer Times

The Attorney General's Office has disclosed the identities of the individuals involved in a fatal incident on November 12, 2024, in Guttenberg, Hudson County, New Jersey. The deceased civilian is Brandon Lee Ortega, aged 26, from Mexia, Texas.

Preliminary findings indicate that around 11:02 p.m., officers from the Guttenberg Police Department responded to a disturbance call at 68th Street and Bellevue Avenue. They were informed that one of the individuals involved was armed with a gun. Officer Brandon Sauerwald identified Ortega near 7000 John F. Kennedy Blvd. East. Following a foot pursuit, Ortega climbed over a railing next to a building and fell over an embankment to his death. Emergency services pronounced him dead at the scene and recovered a gun from his person.

The investigation into this incident is still ongoing, with no additional details available at present.

According to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), enacted in 2019, the Attorney General’s Office must investigate deaths occurring during encounters with law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity or while the individual is in custody. Such investigations are required to be presented to a grand jury to assess whether there is sufficient evidence for an indictment against the officer(s) involved.