In the early morning hours of September 22, 2019, a dispute that began inside the 3rd Base Restaurant in York, Pennsylvania, spilled out into the parking lot and ended in tragedy. Jose Nunez-Cruz, a 24-year-old male, was shot and killed in the ensuing violence. Another man, who was 30 years old at the time, was also critically injured in the shooting but survived after being taken to the hospital by a private vehicle.
The York County Coroner's Office later confirmed that Nunez-Cruz died from gunshot wounds. Born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, he was a graduate of William Penn Senior High School and had attended the York Area Vocational Technical School for welding. He was known to be an enthusiast of ATVs and motorcycles.
The investigation into the shooting led to the identification and arrest of several individuals. Police determined that both Nunez-Cruz and the other victim were targeted in the attack. In December 2020, two men from York City, Eric Dejesus, then 25, and Jonathan Romero, then 23, pleaded guilty to their roles in the incident. Dejesus and Romero both entered guilty pleas to a single count of criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
Following their guilty pleas, Eric Dejesus was sentenced to serve five to ten years in state prison for his involvement in the shooting that led to the death of Jose Nunez-Cruz. Jonathan Romero received a sentence of four to eight years in state prison. At the time of their sentencing, it was reported that three other co-defendants were still awaiting trial in connection with the fatal shooting.
