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Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jury convicts Rodriguez in Hazleton fatal shooting
Jun. 12—WILKES-BARRE — A Luzerne County jury Thursday convicted Jafet De Jesus Rodriguez of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Ashokkumar Patel inside Craig's Food Mart in Hazleton more than four years ago. Rodriguez, 44, faces life in prison without parole when he is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Michael T. Vough on July 24. The jury deliberated for nearly four hours before reaching their verdict just before 4 p.m. "This was a team effort for more than four and a half years to bring this man to justice," said specially assigned Assistant District Attorney Drew McLaughlin. Detectives with Hazleton City Police and the district attorney's office charged Rodriguez with shooting Patel inside the food mart just after 9 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2020. Patel was mopping the floor when a masked gunman wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, a face mask and gloves rushed inside with a firearm, shoved Patel into a closet where he was shot in the neck. Immediately after shooting Patel, the gunman ran behind the counter where he stole a bank bag used to pay out winnings of skill chance machines. During the four day trial, McLaughlin and Assistant District Attorney Gerry Scott relied heavily on global positioning mapping from data extracted from Rodriguez's Apple iPhone 11. Rodriguez provided his phone to detectives during an unrelated drug investigation. The GPS coordinates of Rodriguez's cell phone placed him at the food mart playing skill chance machines from 8:09 to 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2020. Rodriguez drove to his residence on East Cranberry Drive, returning to the store to fatally shoot Patel at 9:07 p.m., McLaughlin and Scott said. Using GPS coordinates of Rodriguez's cell phone, detectives located several surveillance videos that matched the location and Rodriguez's travels before and after Patel was shot, including finding the sweatshirt, gloves and mask hidden in a stove at a garage on East Diamond Avenue where Rodriguez operated a car wash and an auto-detailing business. Rodriguez's attorneys, Michael A. Sklarosky, Joseph F. Sklarosky Sr. and Michael O. Palermo Jr., suggested another man, Angel Luis Rivera, was likely the killer because Rivera was in financial trouble and had access to a firearm. Michael Sklarosky strongly advocated that the red sweatshirt, gloves and face mask did not contain Rodriguez's DNA and the footage from inside the food mart did not provide identifying factors such as the gender and race of the gunman. "The case was four and a half years in the making going back to December 2020, and what you see, the case we presented this week, we've had more evidence than I've ever had in a case. We had GPS, DNA, gunshot residue, all kinds of forensic evidence. We've had surveillance don't realize the painstaking work it takes and it starts crunching search warrants. "Having a case without an eyewitness to say this is our shooter, we have to piece it together and present a compelling case to the jury which we did," McLaughlin said. Patel was working at the food mart, McLaughlin and Scott said, to earn money to send to his family in India. McLaughlin said Patel's family will likely participate via video when Rodriguez is sentenced. Rodriguez was familiar with the food mart having a gambling addiction playing skill chance machines and was aware, McLaughlin and Scott argued, where the bank bag was kept inside the store. Reach Ed Lewis at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TLEdLewis.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Gun used in Hazleton homicide was collateral for loans
Jun. 11—WILKES-BARRE — The firearm used in the December 2020 fatal shooting of Ashokkumar Patel was never recovered, and prosecutors conveyed to a Luzerne County jury Wednesday how they believe homicide suspect Jafet De Jesus Rodriguez managed to obtain the weapon. Angel Luis Rivera, deemed a material witness, told the jury he obtained a Glock firearm as collateral for a loan he gave to another man. Rivera then told the jury he was in need of cash and gave the Glock to Rodriguez, 44, as collateral in October 2020, about two months before Patel was killed during a robbery at Craig's Food Mart on West Broad Street, Hazleton, on Dec. 12, 2020. Rivera called himself a friend of Rodriguez, whom he also worked for at Rodriguez's car wash and auto-detailing garage on East Diamond Avenue in Hazleton. Hesitant to testify at times when questioned by Luzerne County specially assigned Assistant District Attorney Drew McLaughlin, Rivera explained he loaned another man money and took the Glock firearm as collateral. Sometime in October 2020, Rivera said he needed money to pay rent and used the Glock as collateral for cash given to him by Rodriguez. Rivera further said he gave the gun case to Rodriguez's then-girlfriend. On cross-examination, Rodriguez's co-defense lawyer, Joseph F. Sklarosky Sr., reviewed a transcript of Rivera's interview with Hazleton City police detectives after Patel was fatally shot, indicating many inconsistencies between Rivera's direct testimony and his interview with detectives. During the interview, Rivera talked about a Beretta handgun being used as collateral for money loans but Sklarosky Sr. pointed out from the transcript that a detective corrected Rivera the firearm was a Glock. At one point, Sklarosky Sr., who is co-defending Rodriguez with Attorney Michael A. Sklarosky, asked Rivera: "Didn't you rob Craig's market and kill Mr. Patel?" Sklarosky Sr. asked, resulting in an immediate objection by McLaughlin, which was sustained by Judge Michael T. Vough. Sklarosky Sr. further got Rivera to admit he fled the Hazleton area after Patel was killed only to be found in Philadelphia, resulting in a material witness declaration by Vough in August 2024. McLaughlin and Assistant District Attorney Gerry Scott introduced a transcript from a jailhouse phone call between Rodriguez and a woman where Rodriguez discussed a stove. Detectives in court records and previous testimony say they found a red sweatshirt, gloves and a face mask in a garbage bag hidden inside a stove at Rodriguez's car wash and auto-detailing garage. Surveillance video of the fatal shooting, which was shown to the jury Tuesday, showed the gunman wore a red sweatshirt and concealed his face and head with a face mask and hood of the sweatshirt. McLaughlin told the jury during his opening statement that Patel's blood was found on the sweatshirt. To counter the blood on the sweatshirt, Michael Sklarosky during his opening statement told the jury Rodriguez's DNA was not found on the sweatshirt, gloves and face mask found in the stove. Rodriguez is facing trial on an open count of criminal homicide, robbery and theft. Testimony continues Wednesday afternoon. Featured Local Savings Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Jury views Hazleton murder footage; Cell phone mapping placed alleged killer near scene
Jun. 10—WILKES-BARRE — Surveillance footage from inside Craig's Food Mart in Hazleton showed Ashokkumar Patel mopping the floor when confronted by a masked gunman who stormed into the business sand shoved him into a closet. Seconds later, he is seen falling to the floor with a gunshot wound to his neck. Footage also showed the masked gunman go directly to a cabinet behind the cash register counter and stole a money bag that, specially assigned Assistant District Attorney Drew McLaughlin and Assistant District Attorney Gerry Scott allege, contained more than $14,000. Video footage of Patel's murder inside the food mart on Dec. 12, 2020, was played to the Luzerne County jury Tuesday by McLaughlin and Scott in their case against Jafet De Jesus Rodriguez, 44, charged with an open count of criminal homicide, robbery and theft. While the killer was not able to be identified by video footage, McLaughlin and Scott used cellular phone mapping in their effort to convince the jury Rodriguez was the gunman. Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Christopher Hill, a supervisor for the Northeast Computer Crime Lab Unit, testified Tuesday about how he forensically extracted data from Rodriguez's Apple 11 iPhone. The data was then analyzed by Hazleton City Police Detective Brett Green, who used the iPhone's global positioning to pinpoint its locations before and after Patel was killed. Green testified about her analysis: —8:09 p.m. Rodriguez's iPhone was in the area of Craig's Food Mart on West Broad Street, Hazleton. —8:45-8:47 p.m. Traveling on West Broad Street. —9:03 p.m. In the area of Rodriguez's residence at 131 E. Cranberry Avenue, Hazleton. —9:05 p.m. Traveling in the direction of Craig's Food Mart. —9:07 p.m. In the area of Craig's Food Mart. —9:11 p.m. Traveling on North Church Street, Hazleton. —9:13 p.m. In the area of Rodriguez's residence on East Cranberry Avenue. —9:18 p.m. Traveling north on North Cedar Street. —9:19 p.m. In the area of 410 E. Diamond Ave., Hazleton. —9:23 p.m. In the area of Rodriguez's residence. McLaughlin and Scott used Green's testimony to illustrate to the jury that Rodriguez was likely at Craig's Food Mart when Patel was fatally shot. On cross-examination by Rodriguez's co-defense lawyer, Michael O. Palermo Jr., Green said she had no way of knowing if someone else had Rodriguez's phone the night Patel was killed. Palermo is assisting co-defense attorneys, Michael A. Sklarosky and Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. in representing Rodriguez. Hazleton City Police Detective Lieutenant William J. Gallagher testified, giving a second-by-second illustration of video footage showing Patel mopping the floor, and a masked gunman wearing a red sweatshirt and gloves rushing inside the business and shoving Patel into a closet at 9:07 p.m. A second after being shoved into the closet, the masked gunman emerges and runs behind the counter, directly to a floor cabinet to steal a money bag. Patel falls to the floor with his head in camera view, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his neck. About 30 seconds after falling, Patel manages to crawl to the cash register, where he calls 911. McLaughlin and Scott played Patel's 911 call to the jury, but only he could be heard grunting. Forensic pathologist Dr. Gary Ross, who conducted the autopsy, testified Monday that the gunshot severed Patel's tongue, making him unable to speak. During the early days of the investigation, Gallagher said additional video footage was gathered that showed the masked gunman arriving in a dark-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee at Craig's Food Mart and quickly leaving within a minute. Using investigative sources only available to law enforcement, it became known Rodriguez owned a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee. McLaughlin and Scott allege GPS data from Rodriguez's phone led detectives to an auto-detailing garage at 410 E. Diamond Ave., where Rodriguez worked. Found inside a garbage bag hidden in a stove inside the garage was a red sweatshirt, gloves and a face mask, prosecutors told the jury. During his opening statement to the jury on Monday, McLaughlin said Patel's blood was found on the sweatshirt. Michael Sklarosky told the jury Monday the investigation was "sloppy," an abundance of evidence was not tested or disregarded, and there was a rush to arrest someone or anyone, noting Rodriguez's DNA was not found on the sweatshirt, gloves and mask. Featured Local Savings Featured Local Savings
