A second man has pleaded guilty in the June shooting deaths of two men on Penn Street in Reading.
John Roman, 33, of Reading pleaded guilty in front of Berks County Judge J. Benjamin Nevius to two counts of third-degree murder and one count each of conspiracy to commit third-degree murder and illegally possessing a firearm.
Roman is to be sentenced Thursday by Nevius.
Roman’s co-defendant Kevin Irizzarry pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder and related charges in October. Irizzarry is also scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.
Roman and Irizzarry, 27, of Kenhorst were charged with the June killings of Jamar Oliver and Jorge Mercado-Castro.
According to authorities:
Oliver and Mercado-Castro were driving east in the 300 block of Penn Street about 1:15 a.m. on June 16 when they crossed paths with the two victims.
Some sort of dispute took place between the two pairs, and gunfire erupted.
Police found Oliver in the 400 block of Penn Street with a head injury and gunshot wound to his right arm. Mercado-Castro was involved in a vehicle accident at Fifth and Penn streets after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.
Police determined that Irizzarry-DeMarco and Roman were suspects in the shooting after they were identified by a witness who drove them to the 300 block of Penn Street and drove them away as they fled the scene.
Police identified the witness’ vehicle through surveillance footage and located it in the 200 block of Cherry Street shortly after the shooting.
Both victims initially survived the shooting, however Mercado-Castro died at Reading Hospital the following day, and Oliver died in the hospital a few days later.
On June 20, Roman and Irizzarry were arrested and charged with the murders, with investigators saying they were aided in their investigation by information from witnesses.