Plea in 2020 EHT killing could lead to second shooter

Neco Pitts pleads guilty.

A confession in an Egg Harbor Township killing could lead to a second shooter who has long been in the spotlight but never identified.

Neco Pitts, 31, of Long Branch, Monmouth County, pleaded guilty Thursday to shooting Arturo “Arty” Barrera III during a robbery gone wrong.

Pitts said he and two others planned to steal and sell the drugs, but instead he shot Barrera, resulting in his death.

“I shot his legs,” Pitts told Supreme Court Justice Bernard DeLury.

Arturo Barrera III

Barrera, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pitts and co-defendant Leonard Ludwigsen were arrested 14 months later.

Ludwigsen admitted to being the getaway driver. His statement to detectives was later thrown out after defense attorney Lou Barbone successfully argued that a detective had “scrupulously respected” his right to remain silent.

The withheld confession still meant that Ludwigsen was not at home at the time of the shooting. It did not clarify the report that two masked men had shot Barrera.

Now this question could be answered.

“Was there a second shooter in the home invasion conspiracy?” asked Deputy Chief Prosecutor Seth Levy.

“Yes,” Pitts replied.

“Someone other than Ludwigsen,” the judge clarified.

Pitts faces 15 years in prison and 85 percent of probation under the No Early Release Act under the agreement. However, he could get even less time if he identifies the second shooter and testifies in court or if the second shooter pleads guilty.

If this happens, Pitts could apply for a reduction in his sentence after sentencing and receive three years off his sentence.

The trial against Ludwigsen is scheduled to begin in January.

Under the current agreement, Pitts must testify truthfully at Ludwigsen's trial, which is scheduled for January.

Pitts' sentencing is currently scheduled for November 21, but that date could change due to a scheduling conflict with the prosecutor's office.

Pitts is currently in New Jersey State Prison serving a four-year sentence that includes charges of aggravated assault, endangering a child and making terroristic threats, according to Department of Corrections records.

In this case, he will be eligible for parole on November 12, 2025.