Crime & Safety

New Brunswick Man Arrested In Connection With Former Rutgers Student's Murder

A New Brunswick man was charged Tuesday with the murder of former Rutgers student William R. McCaw, an incident that has shaken the college community in recent weeks.

Timothy Puskas, 38, of New Brunswick is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center in North Brunswick on a charge filed in a separate incident that did not involve McCaw.

Puskas had been arrested and charged in Milltown on March 21 on the separate case and has been in custody since then.

Find out what's happening in New Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Superior Court Judge Bradley J. Ferencz, sitting in New Brunswick, set bail today at $5 million on the murder charge.

Rutgers University released a statement, telling its student body:

"We wanted to make you aware of this important development and to thank
you for your cooperation and patience during the course of the ongoing
investigation that led to today’s arrest."

"A number of concerned parents and students have contacted us seeking information and a sense of resolution for this terrible incident. Although we have not been privy to each and every detail of this investigation, we promised that we would keep the community apprised of any developments in this matter.  It is our hope that by sharing this information that we will add to the community’s sense of safety."

Find out what's happening in New Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Acting Prosecutor Carey thanked a number of law enforcement officers who helped with the intensive and on-going investigation that led to the filing of the murder complaint.

“There have been many dedicated individuals who have worked tirelessly and diligently to solve this brutal crime,” Carey said. “I hope that the family and friends of William McCaw have at least some sense of relief knowing that the murderer has been charged and is behind bars.

Police have been actively investigating the homicide since McCaw, a 22-year-old Kean University student who briefly attended Rutgers, was found in the backyard of a house on Hartwell Street in New Brunswick on Feb. 15.

McCaw was pronounced dead at the scene, the victim of blunt force trauma.

The investigation determined that McCaw, now of Tennessee, previously attended Rutgers University and would return to New Brunswick to visit friends. It also was determined that the victim had no known connection to the residents of the property where his body was discovered.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Martinez of the New Brunswick Police Department at (732) 745-5217, extension 6028, or Investigator Daniewicz of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-4018.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.