LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Two people are facing charges after an arranged child custody exchange ended in shots being fired and an innocent bystander being injured and taken to the hospital.
Thalia Ortiz and Rashaun Taylor, of Reading, are both facing charges for their roles in the incident.
Ortiz is facing aggravated assault and shooting at an occupied structure charges, while Taylor is facing offenses related to aiding Ortiz in the crimes that were committed, police say.
On May 30 around 8:20 p.m., police were dispatched to the 2000 block of Lawnwood Court in East Petersburg for a report of a shooting.
Upon arrival, police found that a woman had suffered a gunshot wound to the hip, and was taken to Lancaster General Hospital for treatment. The wound was non-life threatening, authorities said.
Police were told that the suspects in the shooting had fled in a green Subaru Legacy, and with the assistance of the Manheim Township Police Department, the vehicle containing Ortiz and Taylor was located a short distance away.
Authorities say that their investigation revealed that Ortiz and Taylor arrived at the home as part of an arranged child custody exchange when an argument ensued that turned physical between Ortiz and the child's father's girlfriend.
Police say that after the argument, Ortiz and Taylor entered a vehicle to leave the area when Ortiz allegedly fired numerous shots from a 9mm handgun in the direction of the home.
Officials say that one of those shots passed through a window and struck the victim, who was an innocent bystander visiting the residence at the time of the incident.
Police were able to recover the gun allegedly involved in the incident, which remains under investigation.
Anyone with information that may assist police is asked to contact the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department at 717-733-0965.
