Ricardo A. Ferrera was captured hours after Christina Cruz was found shot inside a Porchtown Road residence, authorities said.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ — A 32-year-old Franklinville man has been charged with first-degree murder after authorities said his girlfriend was fatally shot inside a home early Monday, prompting a search that ended with his arrest about 12 hours later.
Ricardo A. Ferrera is accused of killing Christina Cruz, 30, at a residence on Porchtown Road in Franklin Township on Nov. 2. Franklin Township police responded at about 12:36 a.m. after a witness reported hearing gunfire, according to authorities and court documents described by local news organizations. Ferrera left the home after the shooting and was taken into custody shortly after noon.
A witness who had been upstairs with three children told investigators she heard gunshots and went downstairs, where she found Cruz in the living room. Police found Cruz with gunshot wounds, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the complaint. Authorities said Ferrera and Cruz had been arguing about two hours before the shooting.
A second witness who was in a first-floor bedroom also reported hearing the argument before hearing two gunshots and a thud. Investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive. Several other people were inside the home when the shooting occurred, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police initially issued an alert for Ferrera and warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous. The search continued through Monday morning before authorities announced around 12:30 p.m. that Ferrera had been taken into custody in Vineland, roughly 10 miles from Franklinville. Officials had said during the search that Ferrera was known to frequent Vineland, Millville and Atlantic City.
The investigation drew a heavy police presence around the Porchtown Road home for hours. Neighbor David Haas told 6abc that detectives asked to examine footage from his home surveillance camera, though he said the recording did not show anything useful. Haas described the rural area as normally quiet and said serious incidents were unusual there.
Ferrera faces a first-degree murder charge, along with a second-degree charge of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and a charge related to possessing a firearm despite a prior disqualifying conviction, according to authorities. Court documents cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer state that Ferrera had previously been convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Authorities have not released information establishing what led to the argument or a motive for the shooting. Prosecutors also had not publicly explained the relationship between the witnesses and the people involved or identified who lived at the Franklinville residence. The investigation remains ongoing.
Ferrera was being held in the Salem County Jail following his arrest, according to 6abc. The charges against him are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. No additional court schedule had been publicly confirmed in the reports reviewed as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated November 3, 2026.