Crime & Safety
Man Who Killed NJ Teen 20 Years Ago Caught With Loaded Gun: Cops
The man had been out of prison for just over a year before being caught with a loaded pistol, officials said.
PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A man who served prison time for fatally shooting a teenager two decades ago was caught with a loaded gun during a traffic stop in Passaic County this week.
On Wednesday, around 12:30 a.m., Clifton police noticed a GMC Envoy on Route 21 committing “multiple traffic violations,” authorities said.
Officers pulled over the GMC and, as they spoke with the occupants, made “factual observations” that led them to believe the occupants were armed.
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The driver, Zecharia Eaton, 37, of Paterson, was found in possession of a knife and a Taurus .40 caliber handgun loaded with 15 hollow-point rounds, police said.
Eaton was arrested and charged with several weapons charges, including possession of a handgun and unlawful possession of a handgun after conviction of an enumerated crime.
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In 2007, when he was 18 years old, Eaton was sentenced to 22 years in prison for fatally shooting 15-year-old Ricky Lee Smith a year earlier.
Reports say the 20-year-old shooting took place during a party in Paterson in July 2006. Amid a gang-related skirmish, Eaton reportedly fired a weapon into the air before firing it again into a crowd and into Ricky's back.
He served nearly 19 years and was released in March 2025, court records show.
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