Religious hustler kills man at New Jersey Turnpike service plaza

Brian White sells religious CDs

A 26 year old Texas man trying to sell religious CDs to patrons at the James Fenimore Cooper Service Plaza (MP39.4 in southern NJ between IC 4 and IC5) on the New Jersey Turnpike murdered a man who refused to buy, then fled at high speed and led police on a long chase before he was arrested in northern NJ.

The service plaza victim was Mikhail Makarenko, a Russian immigrant to the US in his late 70s from Hillsboro VA. Police say witnesses reported Makarenko refused to buy the CDs being offered by Brian K White, 26 of Humble TX in the Houston area at around 00:45 Thursday. Angry at his refusal to buy, White attacked the old man knocking him down and beating him repeatedly around the head with a large rock. He was left bleeding profusely from the head.

White took off in his white Camaro up the Turnpike northbound with one of the witnesses to the attack in pursuit. The witness used his cell phone to direct state police to the whereabouts of the killer in his Camaro.

Police took over the chase around MP90. They continued following him almost the full length of the Turnpike to I-80 where White exited and headed west to MM68 in Bergen County where he slowed down and jumped from his moving vehicle appearing to intend to flee police on foot. Instead he charged at police, but they subdued and collared him.

One report says Cooper advertises his Christian CDs on a website.

A helicopter took Makarenko to hospital but he was dead on arrival.

TOLLROADSnews 2007-03-16