In the early morning hours of January 2, 2021, a verbal dispute on a street in Camden, New Jersey, turned deadly, claiming the life of 24-year-old Michael Giancola of Collingswood. The male victim was discovered by police who were responding to a ShotSpotter alert for gunfire on the 1800 block of South 6th Street at approximately 6 a.m. Giancola was found inside his vehicle, which had crashed into a pole.
He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Giancola's death quickly identified a suspect, Angel Torres, then 31, of Glassboro. Investigators determined that Giancola and Torres had a verbal exchange just before the shooting. As Giancola attempted to drive away from the confrontation, Torres opened fire into the vehicle, striking him multiple times and causing the fatal crash. A fugitive task force apprehended Torres at a hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 11, 2021, just nine days after the shooting. He was subsequently charged with murder.
In May 2023, Angel Torres pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree aggravated manslaughter. According to the terms of his plea agreement, Torres was sentenced to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison. Under the No Early Release Act, he will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence, equating to 17 years, before he is eligible for parole. Michael Giancola was remembered as a loving father to his young daughter.
