57°
Igancio Peralta-Agramonte is charged with the first-degree murder of his wife, 44-year-old Librada Reyes De Peralta, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Daily Voice and state court records.
It started just after sunrise on Friday, Aug. 4, police wrote in court filings.
A Northern Berks Regional police officer was called to the intersection of Route 61 and Snyder Road in Ontelaunee Township after passing drivers reported witnessing a shooting, documents say.
The officer arrived on the scene to find Reyes De Peralta unresponsive with a single gunshot wound to the head, per the criminal complaint. He also recovered two shell casings and a "work identification card" bearing Peralta-Agramonte's name nearby, authorities said.
At the scene, witnesses told the officer they watched a man shoot a woman directly in the head, and then shoot her again "execution style" after she fell to the ground, the complaint says.
Around this time, the Berks County Department of Emergency Services reported receiving a call from a man who allegedly admitted to shooting his wife near Ashley Furniture (just north of the intersection where Reyes De Peralta died, police note.)
Reading and Northern Berks police began to arrive at the scene and Peralta-Agramonte was quickly located, authorities said.
Police claimed the 49-year-old said, "I did it, I'm sorry," multiple times during his arrest. A knife was also discovered in the cupholder of his Toyota Venza, according to the documents.
Peralta-Agramonte was taken to the Berks County Detectives Office where he allegedly told officers, "I made a mistake, I took her life."
Court records show he was arraigned Friday and his bail was denied due to the nature of the charges. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 22.
Meanwhile, Reyes De Peralta was taken to Reading Hospital where doctors pronounced her dead just after 7 a.m., police said. A preliminary examination ruled her cause of death "multiple gunshot and stab wounds."
The 44-year-old leaves behind two daughters.
"My mom was a very cheerful and very charismatic person," her daughter Jazri wrote in Spanish on a GoFundMe page. "Everyone who knew her knows that my mom was very full of life and it was a tragedy that came knocking on our door without imagining it."
Jazri says she and family members are raising money to send her mom's remains back to her home country. In three days since launching the effort, she has raised over $6,000.
"The death of my mother has been a great pain for the family," Jazri said. "Any donation is appreciated."
A memorial service is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Click here to support Librada Reyes De Peralta's memorial fund on GoFundMe.com.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lower Merion-Narberth and receive free news updates.
