In the winter of 2018, the life of 18-year-old Marli Alonso was tragically cut short on the streets of Reading, Pennsylvania. On the evening of December 12th, Alonso, along with two other young men, Omar Harris, 20, and Joel Cintrón, 19, were gunned down in the 600 block of Moss Street. When police arrived at the scene around 7 p.m., they discovered a grim tableau.
Alonso and Cintrón were found deceased, while Harris was gravely wounded and rushed to Reading Hospital, where he would later succumb to his injuries. The brazen nature of the shooting led investigators to believe the victims were specifically targeted.
For nearly three years, the case of the triple homicide remained a painful open wound for the families and the community. Then, in September 2021, a significant breakthrough occurred. The Reading Police Department announced they had identified a suspect, Jairo Guerrero-Bautista, who was 19 years old at the time of his arrest. An arrest warrant was issued, and Guerrero-Bautista was taken into custody at City Hall, facing charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and other related offenses for the deaths of Alonso, Harris, and Cintrón.
The subsequent investigation and legal proceedings revealed a chilling narrative of a planned and coordinated attack. Prosecutors presented evidence that Guerrero-Bautista had conspired with another individual, Jonathan Torres, and two unidentified men to carry out the killings. The motive appeared to be rooted in a dispute, as evidence suggested Guerrero-Bautista had been having issues with Marli Alonso. A video taken just before the murders showed Guerrero-Bautista threatening to harm Alonso. Further evidence included rap lyrics sent by Guerrero-Bautista in which he described details of the murders.
In March 2024, a Berks County jury found Jairo Guerrero-Bautista guilty on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Due to his age at the time of the crime, the maximum sentence for each murder count was 35 years to life. In April 2024, he was sentenced to a total of 140 years to life in prison, bringing a measure of closure to the families of the three young men whose lives were so violently taken. An appeal challenging the sufficiency of the evidence was later filed, but the conviction was upheld.
