In the spring of 2018, the life of 34-year-old Jelson Dejesus-Ortiz was cut short in a violent encounter on a Pennsylvania highway. On the night of April 9th, what was reported as a car crash on Route 72 in Cornwall turned out to be a grim double homicide. When authorities arrived at the chaotic scene, they discovered both Dejesus-Ortiz and another man, 27-year-old Alexis Rafael Perez-Garcia, lying on the roadway, having sustained gunshot wounds.
The vehicle they were in had crashed into a barrier. Dejesus-Ortiz was rushed to Hershey Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to two gunshot wounds. Perez-Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the back.
The investigation into the deaths of the two men quickly uncovered a sinister plot. Authorities identified 37-year-old Gilberto Torres-Reyes as the prime suspect. The events leading to the tragic deaths began earlier that day when Torres-Reyes allegedly robbed the Riverfront Credit Union in Wyomissing. Seeking to flee the area, he offered Dejesus-Ortiz and Perez-Garcia $400 each to drive him to Pittsburgh. A witness confirmed seeing the two victims drive off with Torres-Reyes. Tragically, each of the victims was found with the promised $400 in their pockets.
Investigators believe that Torres-Reyes shot both men from the back seat of the car while it was in motion, causing the vehicle to crash. After the killings, Torres-Reyes fled. His escape was short-lived, however, as U.S. Marshals apprehended him in New York City on April 13, 2018. His capture was aided by a tip that he had sought treatment at a New York City hospital for injuries he sustained in the crash.
Gilberto Torres-Reyes was charged with two counts of criminal homicide, illegal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment of another person, and fleeing apprehension. Prior to these charges, he had already pleaded guilty to the credit union robbery and was sentenced to 38 months to 10 years in prison. The arrest brought a swift, though not complete, resolution to the violent end of Jelson Dejesus-Ortiz's life.
