2 More Suspects Arrested In Slaying Of 3 College Students Shot In New Jersey Schoolyard

Saturday, August 18th 2007, 2:48 pm

By: News On 6

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ Authorities arrested two more suspects Saturday in the slayings of three college students who were shot execution-style in a schoolyard, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five.

The two additional suspects were found in suburban Washington, authorities said. A spokeswoman for the mayor of Newark, where the killings occurred, said the pair were brothers.

Rodolfo Godinez, a 24-year-old Nicaraguan immigrant, was arrested in Oxon Hill, Md., just north of the I-495 Beltway. An unidentified 16-year-old was arrested in the Woodbridge, Va., area. Both were awaiting extradition to New Jersey, Deputy U.S. Marshal Bill Sorukas said.

The search team, which included the FBI's Fugitive Task Force, staked out the address in Maryland where Godinez was staying after receiving a tip that he was planning to flee to Texas and then to Mexico, according to James Plousis, a U.S. marshal who is responsible for New Jersey.

The suspects were wanted in connection with the Aug. 4 slayings in which the victims were forced to kneel in front of a wall behind an elementary school and shot in the back of the head.

Authorities have said robbery appeared to be the motive.

Killed in the attack were Terrance Aeriel, 18; Dashon Harvey, 20, and Iofemi Hightower, 20. Aeriel's sister, Natasha, was shot in the head but survived and has helped police in the investigation.

Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker and Police Director Garry F. McCarthy scheduled a news conference for later Saturday. A spokeswoman for Booker said authorities were still searching for an additional suspect.

Shalga Hightower, Iofemi Hightower's mother, said Saturday's arrests gave her peace. ``My child can rest now,'' she said.

Previous arrests in the case include Jose Carranza, a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from Peru, and two juveniles.