On a late August afternoon, a child custody exchange in a quiet area of Liberty, Pennsylvania, turned deadly, ending the life of 31-year-old Jesus Iran Alicia-Santiago of Buffalo, New York. The Hispanic man was shot and killed near a park-and-ride off Route 15. The tragic event unfolded as Alicia-Santiago was returning his two-year-old child to his estranged wife, Denissa Alvarez-Matias.
Alicia-Santiago was in his black Ford Explorer when a confrontation erupted.
Traveling with Alvarez-Matias was Leonardo Pagan-Acevedo. During the dispute, Pagan-Acevedo retrieved a. 45-caliber handgun and fired at Alicia-Santiago. The single gunshot proved to be fatal, striking him and causing his death. After the shooting, Alicia-Santiago managed to drive his vehicle to a nearby Exxon station, where he was found by responding authorities.
An investigation was launched, and authorities soon identified Pagan-Acevedo and Alvarez-Matias as the suspects. It was reported that family members of Alicia-Santiago told investigators that Alvarez-Matias had been upset about a new relationship he was in. The suspects fled the scene in a red sedan.
Leonardo Pagan-Acevedo was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Jesus Iran Alicia-Santiago. In a turn of events, he later pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. For his role in the fatal shooting, Pagan-Acevedo was sentenced to serve 15 to 35 years in state prison. Denissa Alvarez-Matias was also taken into custody. While a serious charge of conspiracy to commit homicide against her was ultimately dismissed, she still faced legal consequences. Alvarez-Matias was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and hindering the apprehension of a suspect. She was later sentenced to serve 11 months to two years in state prison.
