Cristian Custodio-Aquino has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the 2024 stabbing death of veterinarian Michael Anthony in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The 28-year-old is expected to receive a 30-year prison sentence at his July 9 hearing.
Custodio-Aquino drove across the country from Oregon and attacked Anthony outside his home on Sharrowvale Road on December 10, 2024. Anthony, 45, suffered multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. His teenage son discovered the body and called emergency services.
Prosecutors said Custodio-Aquino planned the killing after learning Anthony was dating his former partner. Police recovered transition eyeglasses containing the suspect's DNA near the body and later found Anthony's blood inside his Nissan Altima. Custodio-Aquino was arrested in Fresno, California, roughly three months after the attack.
"This defendant assassinated Dr. Michael Anthony," Assistant Camden County Prosecutor Kevin Moran told the court. Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay noted the plea brings a measure of closure for Anthony's family and the local community where he ran Haddon Vet.