On January 8, 2023, 35-year-old Hector Rafael Burgos-Torres was fatally shot at the Lincoln West Apartments in Mountville, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. when West Hempfield Township police responded to a reported burglary in progress. Upon arrival, officers discovered Burgos-Torres deceased with multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigations revealed that Burgos-Torres had confronted two men outside the apartment complex, demanding money and forcing them into an apartment
at gunpoint. Inside the apartment were a female resident, her guest, and their young children. Burgos-Torres threatened the occupants, pointing two guns and demanding money. A struggle ensued when one of the men attempted to disarm him. During the altercation, the second man retrieved a firearm from a closet and shot Burgos-Torres multiple times, resulting in his death.
The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office determined that the shooting was an act of self-defense. The man who shot Burgos-Torres reasonably believed that deadly force was necessary to protect himself and others in the apartment from death or serious bodily injury. Consequently, no charges were filed against him for the shooting. However, he faced charges for illegal possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, and possession with intent to deliver marijuana, as the firearm used had been reported stolen in 2017.
Burgos-Torres was born on January 6, 1988, in Guayama, Puerto Rico. He worked as a laborer in manufacturing plants for several years and enjoyed working on cars, fishing, basketball, boxing, and cooking. He is survived by his longtime companion, Nohely Burgos, their daughter, Arianie Chanelle Burgos, his mother, stepfather, and several siblings.
