Posted on 05/17/2006 3:31:15 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Police said a third man, Cesar Ariel Jaquez, will also be charged in connection with the case.
Joan “Mike” Romero and Pedro “Marco” Cabrera are charged with homicide in the killing of Derek Kichline. The 29-year-old was shot once in the head near his East Chestnut Street residence on May 10 just before midnight.
Romero and Cabrera, both 23, of South Cedar Street, are charged with criminal homicide, criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property, persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sale or transfer firearms, police said.
Pennsylvania State Police and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s office assisted city police in arresting both men overnight.
Kichline was shot in the face near his left eye and was pronounced dead at the hospital about 45 minutes later. Luzerne County Coroner Dr. John Consalvo had said the gunshot that killed him was from a .380-caliber handgun that was fired at close range. Police said the gun has been recovered and had been stolen.
Hazleton police said Jaquez was arrested on May 11 and was associated with Romero and Cabrera. Jaquez suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he tried to unload the gun, police said. Jaquez is in federal custody on an Immigration and Custom Enforcement detainer.
The arrest affidavit for Romero said Jaquez had arrived at Hazleton General Hospital at 11:56 p.m. on May 10 to seek treatment for a gunshot wound. Jaquez told police he had been robbed in the city at an unknown location, but police said the wound was not consistent with a robbery.
Police took his bloody clothing as evidence and asked if they could go somewhere to retrieve more clothing for him. He said he lived at 119 S. Cedar St., the same home address Romero and Cabrera provided to police.
The affidavit said that a detective tried to retrieve a bag from an open closet at that address and a Winchester .380-caliber shell casing fell to the floor. The casing was identical to the casing found at the homicide scene. Police executed a search warrant and found a .380-caliber pistol inside a futon mattress. They determined the gun had been stolen from a vehicle in Hazleton last October.
According to police, Romero and Cabrera after the homicide gave the gun to Jaquez, who accidentally shot himself in the leg as he tried to unload it.
During the investigation, a “home invasion” type robbery was linked to the group. Police said Romero’s brother, Juan Carlos Romero, has been charged with receiving stolen property related to the gun and items taken from a residence at 569 Lincoln St. earlier this month. He is also an illegal immigrant, and a federal detainer was placed on him.
The arrest affidavit for Juan Romero said that on May 1, police responded to 569 Lincoln St. and two victims told them that four or five people brandishing handguns had entered the residence, tied them up and ransacked the home.
ping
These guys are pretty typical of the people the US Senate wishes to reward.
But...but...but, they're not Mexicans. How can they be illegal aliens if they're not Mexicans?
(/s)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.