Pair Charged After Dover Man Found Beaten to Death Near Morristown Rail Line

MORRISTOWN, NJ - The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has charged two homeless acquaintances, Enrique “Flaco” Vega, 33, and Cassandra West, 31, with endangering an injured victim and defiant trespass after a Dover resident was discovered dead along Patriots Path in Morristown on Friday, June 13. Police say Vega and West were present when Stanley M. Robinson, 65, became embroiled in a predawn fight with another man, identified only as R.E., on NJ Transit property south of Cory Road. Responders found Robinson’s body at 9:14 a.m. beside the railroad tracks; an autopsy later determined he died from blunt-force trauma to the head and ruled the case a homicide.

Investigators allege the pair left the scene without seeking medical aid and, within hours, checked into the Red Carpet Inn on Route 10 in Hanover. There, on June 14, Vega allegedly slipped $2,500 from the motel’s cash register while an employee was away, with West posted as a lookout, prosecutors said. That same day, the two reportedly entered a vacant house on Ridgedale Avenue, also in Hanover, where they found R.E.—the second participant in the earlier fight—lying dead. Authorities contend West tried to obscure evidence by discarding an empty heroin fold near the body before leaving the residence. Police discovered R.E. on June 16; no external trauma was noted, and the medical examiner is still determining the cause of death.

Newark NJ Transit officers arrested Vega and West later on June 16 at Broad Street Station. Both defendants were charged by complaint warrant the following day. In addition to the Morristown counts, Vega faces third-degree burglary, theft, and conspiracy charges for the motel incident, while West is charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and theft. The pair is also charged with disorderly-persons criminal trespass for entering the vacant house; West alone is accused of fourth-degree evidence tampering. Vega is being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility, and West remains in custody, pending detention hearings.

The investigation into the death of Stanley Robinson remains ongoing.

Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “Many thanks to our law enforcement agencies participating in this investigation - the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Morristown Bureau of Police, NJ Transit Police, Hanover Police Department, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Special Operations Division - for their vital contributions to this investigation and which remains ongoing.”

New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo, “The New Jersey Transit Police Department takes pride in working hand-in-hand with local, state, and federal partners to ensure the safety and security of its riders and the public at large. We were pleased to take part in this multi-jurisdictional investigation resulting in the suspects’ apprehension.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200 or the Morristown Police Department at 973-538-2200. Authorities emphasized that the criminal complaints are only accusations and that Vega and West are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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