On the evening of September 18, 2024, a burst of violence shattered the routine at an auto body shop on Hollenbeck Street in Rochester, New York. Inside, 29-year-old Christopher Romero-Warren, a Black / African American male, was working when an assailant entered the garage. The man, later identified as Angelito Diaz-Escalera, unleashed a barrage of gunfire, striking Romero-Warren multiple times.
The attack was sudden and brutal, leaving Romero-Warren with fatal injuries; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators quickly determined that this was not a random act of violence, believing Romero-Warren was the specific target.
The motive, as uncovered by the Rochester police, stemmed from an ongoing dispute between Romero-Warren and Diaz-Escalera, who were known to each other. The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify 24-year-old Angelito Diaz-Escalera as the sole suspect. A manhunt ensued, culminating on October 30, 2024, when members of the U.S. Marshals Violent Felony Fugitive Task Force located and apprehended Diaz-Escalera on the west side of Rochester. His arrest was made without incident on a sealed felony indictment warrant that was unrelated to the murder.
Following his capture, Diaz-Escalera was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the death of Christopher Romero-Warren. At his arraignment in Rochester City Court on October 31, 2024, Diaz-Escalera pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, he later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the killing. This sentence was to be served in addition to a 10-year sentence for an unrelated case of child sex abuse, bringing his total time of incarceration to 30 years.
