FREEHOLD – Two local men have been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Long Branch man that took place late Friday evening in the same town, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Tuesday.
Nija Faust, 21, and Santana Rivera-Cosme, 20, both of Long Branch, were each charged with first-degree Murder, fourth-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (knife), and third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose.
On March 7, 2025, at approximately 11:33 p.m., members of the Long Branch Police Department responded to a report of a stabbing in the vicinity of the 200 block of Broadway. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 35-year-old male, suffering from multiple stab wounds.
The victim, later identified as Eren Kurkcu, was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. Kurkcu would later succumb to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
An investigation by members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Long Branch Police Department determined Faust and Rivera-Cosme were responsible for the stabbing.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to please contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Joseph Mason at 800-533-7443 or Long Branch Police Department Detective Kevin Morris at 732-222-1000 ext. 1357.
The case is assigned to Assistant Prosecutor Caitlin J. Sidley of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau. Information regarding Faust’s and Rivera-Cosme’s legal representation was not readily available.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
