Burlington, NJ, Man Charged in Deadly Standoff That Closed School

BEVERLY — A Tuesday morning standoff at a house located next to an elementary school began with a phone call about a homicide.

While a suspect has been charged, he has not been charged with killing the 27-year-old Highland Park man found in the Bentley Avenue house.

A woman notified Beverly police that she had received a call from Larry Brown, 27, of Burlington Township, at 1:15 a.m. telling her that Cecilio Luciano had been killed inside a house.

Police were aware of four children and a woman living in the house. Brown refused police orders to leave, according to acting Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw.

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The residents were released unharmed over the course of several hours. Brown exited the house around 8:30 a.m. and was arrested.

Bradshaw did not disclose the relationships between Luciano, the woman and Brown.

The State Police TEAMS Unit entered the home and located Luciano's body.

Although witnesses told police that Luciano had been shot, the Burlington County Medical Examiner said Luciano had in fact been bludgeoned to death. No charges have been filed in connection with the homicide.

Brown was charged with second-degree certain persons not to have weapons, kidnapping and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was being held at the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.

School at the neighboring Beverly City School was closed for day because of the standoff.