Suspects in separate homicides charged with intimidating witnesses
Apr. 23—HAZLETON — Two men facing criminal homicide trials in Luzerne County Court for separate murders are facing allegations they intimidated witnesses through jailhouse phone calls.
Police in Hazleton City charged Frangel Garcia Andujar, 23, and Reymer Gonzales, 19, with intimidating witnesses to provide misleading testimony and criminal conspiracy.
The allegations involve Andujar's criminal homicide case involving the fatal shooting of Stanley Jimson, 17, and injuring four others during a party at a house on South Wyoming Street, Hazleton, on March 6, 2022.
In March, Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough continued Andujar's homicide trial after Assistant District Attorney James L. McMonagle announced an investigation of witnesses being allegedly contacted by Andujar and others.
Investigators allege they uncovered the alleged plot to intimidate witnesses by Andujar's phone calls from the county correctional facility.
Andujar's case has involved contentious court proceedings, including Andujar's preliminary hearing held in May 2022, when two people were ejected from the courtroom, a witness calling an attorney "stupid," a perceived threat toward a witness, and another witness who allegedly displayed gang signs from the witness stand.
Gonzales is facing criminal homicide charges filed by the Pennsylvania State Police at Hazleton for his alleged role in the fatal shooting of Rolando K. Cepeda, 18, outside Performance Auto Repair on West 23rd St., Hazle Township, on April 14, 2023.
Gonzales allegedly bragged about Cepeda's death during live streams on the social media platforms Snapchat and Instagram, according to court records and testimony during court proceedings.
A co-defendant in Cepeda's death, Ismael Valdez Batista, 19, pled guilty to criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide for his alleged role in the deadly shooting. The plea agreement with Batista calls for a sentence of 12 to 24 years in state prison.
A third suspect in Cepeda's murder, Eliezer Santana, 18, remains at-large.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mother of missing Navy sailor in Norfolk speaks out as investigation continues
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The investigation into missing Culinary Specialist Seaman Angelina Resendiz out of Naval Station Norfolk is still ongoing. Resendiz was initially reported missing on May 29, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) states her disappearance from the Virginia naval station poses a credible threat to their health and safety. According to the Navy, Resendiz was last seen in her barracks at Naval Station Norfolk around 10 a.m. RELATED: 'Not like Angie at all:' Search continues for missing sailor from Naval Station Norfolk Nexstar's WAVY spoke with Resendiz's mother, Esmerelda Castle, who says she knew something was wrong when her daughter stopped reaching out to family members — something Resendiz was known to do every day. 'She talks to somebody every day,' Castle said. 'Her and my sister have a 400-day streak on Snapchat, and it all stopped on Thursday. She doesn't miss work.' Castle contacted the Navy and flew all the way to Hampton Roads, Virginia, from Texas to look for Resendiz, whom she describes as kind and compassionate. 'She's a very kind person. She's loving,' Castle said. 'She sees someone down, she's compassionate and encouraging and uplifting, and it's just natural for her. You see her and she's always smiling.' Esmerelda Castle shared the below photos of her daughter with WAVY. Castle said the last person who was seen with her daughter showed up to work on Monday, while Resendiz did not. 'I got here Thursday, and [investigators] still couldn't tell me anything,' Castle said. WAVY reached out to NCIS and received the following statement: 'NCIS urges anyone with information regarding her whereabouts to contact NCIS at 877-579-3648 or using the NCIS Tips app. Tips may be reported anonymously.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
2 young men charged for bringing fully loaded weapons to Pontiac high school graduation
Police charged two young men accused of bringing an AR-style pistol and a Glock semi-automatic handgun — both unregistered and fully loaded with 40-round magazines — to a high school graduation in Pontiac, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald's office announced on June 9. Jamarion Hardiman, 20, and Deahveon Whaley, 19, are each charged with carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and carrying a concealed weapon, McDonald's office said in a news release. More: Authorities find loaded weapons at Pontiac high school's graduation Neither suspect was a graduating student but had ongoing disputes with others in the community, authorities have said. The pair went to the graduation together on June 3 at the United Wholesale Mortgage campus, where they allegedly got into a brawl with others but did not fire any rounds. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard previously said it's likely deputies "prevented a mass shooting." "Just those two weapons without changing magazines had 80 rounds of potential firepower shooting into a graduation," Bouchard said. "You can only imagine the outcome of that." Police were initially called in on reports of the brawl. Surveillance video shows Hardiman assaulting someone inside the sports complex, and then, sometime after, Hardiman, Whaley, and others involved in the fight leaving the building, according to McDonald's office. The brawl continued in the parking lot, where Hardiman was struck by a car, "apparently without injury," the news release details. Hardiman and Whaley then went to their car to get the guns — for Whaley, a firearm to carry in his waistband, and for Hardiman, a "distinctive backpack" that held the AR-style pistol, prosecutors allege in the news release. Authorities say the pair abandoned the weapons under parked vehicles. When they exited the car, the pair is seen in surveillance footage crouching behind and between cars in the parking lot, McDonald's office said. Deputies were informed at the time of a possible shooting threat made on Snapchat. McDonald's office said on June 9 that those threats have not been verified. Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at asahouri@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 charged after loaded weapons found at Pontiac high school graduation
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
LA Riots, Deportations, N-Word Karens and Other Distractions That Have Black Folks Sleepwalking
In an era marked by rising hate and division, the Black community faces a new kind of attack — and it isn't always glaringly obvious. As chaos unfolds on screens and in headlines, the real threats slip by unnoticed, quietly reshaping our future. This is the cautionary tale about how distraction has become a weapon, and why staying truly woke means seeing beyond the noise to protect what's ours. Now, we love the phrase 'Stay woke' — thanks, Donald Glover — but it feels like we're sleepwalking through some of the biggest moves against us without fully grasping the severity of the situation on our hands. Whether people are picking up the pieces to failed immigration policies — sparking protests like the ICE L.A. riots — or we're sucked into reality TV, we must face these issues head-on. Let's take a deep dive into some of the major players in this advanced game of distraction, and how the tactics are used against us. Shocking immigration riots took place on June 8 in Los Angeles, where thousands took to the streets after ICE launched sweeping raids. Protesters were outraged over mass detentions, family separations, and the sudden deployment of National Guard troops while facing troops, tear gas, rubber bullets, and site-wide curfews. While Black and immigrant communities fight for their voice and future, chaos is staged at the hand of the Trump administration — once again — to keep everyone on edge and off their game. Frankly, the visible and physical tactic of slapping down unity is a slap in the face…and protesters weren't afraid to turn up in the faces of the California National Guard. At least 56 were arrested over the weekend, per NBC News. Don't come for us when we say this, but entertainment is slowly but surely becoming a form of mind control. Every scandal, every rabbit hole, every bombshell media trial (we're looking at you, Diddy) — it's all keeping us locked in and tuned out. Using celebs to push agendas? We're over it. It's Rome all over again, a reminder of how entertainment was used as a tool to minimize the potential for civil unrest, while enhancing their popularity and image. Works every time — but we're on to it. Many Black folks feel some decisions made by the Trump administration are slowly chipping away at the potential for Black progress. Community programs that offer support to education and health are being cut and stripped of their funding, such as proposed cuts to Title I funding. By the time we look up, they're already out the back door with a program — such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — that was set in place to encourage Black success. Needless to say, politics can be a masterclass in misdirection. During the era of our civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, activism was rooted in real sacrifice. Today, social justice is somewhat of a trendy accessory: changing your Facebook photo to stand with victims and adding the black square to your Instagram profile. During the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, people, young and elderly, opted out of the bus system due to harsh treatment for a staggering 381 days—from Dec. 5, 1955 to Dec. 20, 1956. Compare that to now, where many won't log off for three minutes — let alone stand ten toes down for over a year. We can easily call this digital programming. Every person's feed is created especially for them, fueling their triggers, addictions, and messiest obsessions for monetary gain. No matter the social app, the goal is to keep us doom-scrolling until we're late for work, short on sleep, or deep into a chaotic rabbit hole. All the trash gets pushed to the top while real-world updates are suppressed, rendering many uninformed. Election disputes causing voter suppression may not be the intention, but it can delay access or hinder full participation. Allegations of voter fraud, battles over ballot access and unexpected changes to voting rules disproportionately affect Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities. Claims of fraud become justifications for reduced early voting periods, restrictions on mail-in ballots, and stricter voter ID laws — all of which directly impact Black folks. It's bad enough some don't see the need to vote at all, and this surely doesn't help. At this point, just stop selling the microphones. Since the rise of YouTube podcasts, everybody's a scholar, everybody's got 'sources,' and everybody's reporting something — facts optional. It's a mess. And while the misinformation marathon continues, the truth doesn't even get a head start and opinions are seemingly as good as facts. Thanks to the late Kevin Samuels and many others, Black men and women turned what should be a wholesome discussion into a full-blown battlefield — and social media's eating it up. Known as 'Red Pill' content, some podcasts are built on dragging each other down, 'high value' nonsense and endless 'who brings what to the table' debates. Unifying the Black family has to be central to maintain success. While we're busy fighting each other, the real ops stay winning and we're watching it happen in 4K. They're not even hiding it anymore. Right under our noses, Black studies are being slashed from school curriculums, and key parts of our history are vanishing from textbooks. Since 2021, 44 schools have proposed bills in favor of restricting what's called critical race theory (CRT), per EdTrust. This prevents teachers from giving lessons on important topics, including systemic racism. From Florida to Texas, the erasure is real — and strategic. Whether it's 'talk proper' or 'dress like you want the job,' respectability politics whispers lies about what it takes to be accepted or protected here. We're taught to shrink, conform, and dilute our Blackness to make others comfortable — even though it hasn't stopped injustices. It's a distraction that places blame on individuals instead of the system designed to undermine, no matter how polished we appear. Covert anti-Blackness — whether it's subtle or in-your-face systemic discrimination — chips away at a system that talks big about freedom, equality, and representation. Under Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy to wipe the names of civil rights legends like Harriet Tubman, Thurgood Marshall, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg off naval ships. This kind of quiet erasure isn't loud, but it's no accident — it's polished and intentional. It seems Trump's administration has mastered the art of political theatre — one minute commuting the federal sentence of Chicago gang founder Larry Hoover, the next stripping the names of beloved civil rights leaders from U.S. Navy ships. While our attention was diverted to controversy, chaos, and entertainment, critical programs were defunded, protections dismantled, and inequalities deepened. This isn't just politics — it's a performance meant to mislead and confuse. With so many distractions in play before us, becoming more vigilant and spotting foul play is key. The time has come to cut the noise, and focus on moving forward together as a people in power.
