Man Arrested, Charged With First-Degree Murder In Connection To Death Of Man, Dog Inside Evesham Township Apartment Complex
EVESHAM TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- An Evesham Township man has been arrested and charged for allegedly stabbing a man to death on Saturday, according to officials. Donovan G. Hollingsworth, 25, has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing Thomas Pierson III in his apartment, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's office.
The incident happened at the Olympus Apartments on Baker Boulevard shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday.
Police responded to the apartment complex for a report of a possible dog attack. Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina says responding officers found Pierson and a dog both dead in a stairwell landing. Police say Pierson had multiple stab wounds.
An investigation indicated that Hollingsworth and Pierson, who both knew each other, got in an altercation at the apartment, officials say. The altercation led Hollingsworth to stab Pierson and his dog named "Django."
Officials say Hollingsworth left the scene and was taken into custody by Evesham Township Police at the Virtua Vorhees Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for minor injuries.
Hollingsworth is in custody in a Burlington County jail, pending a detention hearing to be held in the near future.
Eyewitness News spoke with a neighbor who said Pierson was well-spoken, kind, and could also be seen with his dog, Django.
"You never know around here," Brian Price, a neighbor, said. "Last year, we had a drive-by shooting here, so it could've been another one of those. That's what my first thought was."
"She was very friendly," Price said of the dog. "Just very playful."
The investigation was conducted by the Burlington County Prosecutor's office and the Evesham Township Police Department.
An autopsy is expected to be performed on Monday.