On October 10, 2023, the bodies of 18-year-old Hunter Mock and 16-year-old Angelito Caraballo were discovered in a wooded area off Ferndale Road in New Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both teenagers had been reported missing shortly before the grim discovery. Autopsies determined that Mock died from a gunshot wound to the head, while Caraballo succumbed to multiple stab wounds, including a fatal laceration to the carotid artery in his neck.
The investigation revealed that on the night of October 8, 2023, Mock and Caraballo, along with two other individuals, went to an area known as "The Sanchez," an abandoned mining site popular for social gatherings. According to witness statements, during their time there, 19-year-old Lamour Curtis Branch brandished a firearm and began shooting at Mock and Caraballo. One witness reported hearing 10 to 20 gunshots as he fled the scene. Mock was fatally shot, and Caraballo was stabbed multiple times.
In the months following the incident, investigators gathered evidence linking Branch to the murders. Witnesses recounted that Branch had shown a gun and pocketknife after the incident, allegedly stating, "You already know what happened, both of them is dead." Additionally, Branch's cellmate later disclosed that Branch admitted to planning the killings, initially targeting Mock and a female individual, but ultimately attacking Caraballo when he accompanied Mock that night.
On June 5, 2024, Branch was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including first-degree murder, third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and tampering with evidence. He was apprehended at the Schuylkill County Courthouse, where he was attending a hearing for unrelated burglary charges. Branch was denied bail and remains in custody at the Schuylkill County Prison, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 11, 2024.
The arrest brought a measure of relief to the grieving families of the victims, though many questions remain unanswered. Both mothers expressed a desire for justice and a deeper understanding of the motives behind the tragic loss of their sons. The community of New Philadelphia continues to mourn the untimely deaths of Mock and Caraballo, remembering them as kind-hearted individuals taken too soon.
