Man followed 3 construction workers to their job site, attacked them, jury rules

A man was convicted Thursday of attacking three construction workers in Newark nearly three years ago, officials said.
Thomas Johnson, 31, of East Orange followed the men from a Home Depot on Springfield Avenue to their job site on South 14th Street in his car on Nov. 2, 2021, according to a release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Two of the workers were unloading their supplies when Johnson approached them holding a handgun, and a third worker was on a roof at the time, the office said.
Johnson kicked down a ladder, leaving the one worker stranded on the roof, and then proceeded to pistol-whip another, investigators said. He also fired his gun four times at them and some of the shots damaged their truck.
Johnson was identified by a witness on the scene, and cell phone evidence and surveillance video from Home Depot and the crime scene also helped identify him, authorities said.
On Thursday, a jury found him guilty of aggravated and weapons-related charges, the office said.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2025.
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at [email protected].