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Jeremiahs Josiah-Alberto Sanchez, of Lancaster, fired a gun stolen out of Lebanon County and endangered the lives of 52 innocent bystanders during the incident, the District Attorney's office explained.
Sergio Vargas, 30, Elijah Deliz,18, and three other men were involved in the fight that led up to the shooting, but none were charged, authorities said.
Although he was a minor at the time of the shooting, Josiah-Alberto Sanchez was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty to the following:
- Two counts of criminal attempted homicide.
- Three counts of aggravated assault.
- 52 counts of recklessly endangering another person.
- One count of persons not to possess a firearm.
- One count of carrying a firearm without a license.
- One count of possession of a firearm by a minor.
- One count of receiving stolen property.
The armed bystander who intervened was not charged, the DA said.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa who prosecuted the case noted that Sanchez "had already been adjudicated on three separate gun violence charges dating back to 2017," as stated in the release.
The defense counsel noted "Sanchez’s adverse childhood upbringing and previous incidents of his home being 'shot up' as reasons [he] was fearful, but Ponessa pointed to limited cooperation with police when it came to investigating those crimes," according to the DA's release.
On May 28, Sanchez was sentenced by Judge Dennis Reinaker to serve 16 to 32 years in prison.
Former Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective, now Lancaster County Detective, Stanley Roache filed charges and attended the sentencing proceeding.
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