LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A Lancaster County man charged in connection with the deaths of two men found in a burning vehicle in Manor Township earlier this week surrendered to authorities Friday, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said.
Ezequiel B. Almodovar, 36, is charged with two counts of homicide in the deaths of Jonathan Rivera and Eugenio Morales-Torres, the DA's office said.
The two men were allegedly shot and killed at Almodovar's home on Hunsecker Road in Upper Leacock Township Monday night, then found Tuesday morning in a burned vehicle parked on a farm lane off Charlestown Road, according to authorities.
Police determined the burned vehicle belonged to Morales-Torres and was seen at Almodovar’s home on Monday night.
In addition to the homicide charges, Almodovar is charged with two counts of abuse of a corpse and one count each of arson and tampering with evidence, the DA's office said.
District Judge Denise Commins arraigned Almodovar on all charges Friday afternoon. He is not eligible for bail.
Almodovar surrendered, with his attorney, at East Lampeter Township Police Department just after noon, according to the DA.
The investigation remains active, authorities say. While no further charges have been filed at this time, police are investigating whether anyone else was involved in these criminal acts.
According to the criminal complaint affidavit filed against Almodovar by East Lampeter Township Police, a relative of Rivera called police at about 11:30 p.m. Monday after Rivera and Morales-Torres had not been seen since 7 p.m. Both men had gone to visit Almodovar that night, the relative reported.
The witness told police they had gone to Almodovar's house to check on Rivera and Morales-Torres and were chased from the property by Almodovar, who was wearing a shirt that appeared to have blood on it. Morales-Torres' pickup truck was seen in Almodovar's driveway, the witness reported.
Police responded to Almodovar's home and spoke to a woman who said she lived there. The woman said Almodovar was not at home, and claimed she did not know Rivera or Morales-Torres.
The pickup truck belonging to Morales-Torres was not on the site when police visited, the complaint states.
On Tuesday morning, police were en route to Almodovar's home for a second visit when they were stopped by the witness who had reported to them earlier. The witness told police they had just come from Almodovar's home, where they had found a shell casing in the driveway. The witness gave the shell casing to police.
Police reported back to Almodovar's home at about 8:50 a.m. and discovered more shell casings and what appeared to be blood stains on the driveway, the complaint says. No one answered when police knocked at the door.
When the East Lampeter Township police officers returned to the station from Almodovar's home, they found a call from Manor Township Police regarding a vehicle fire on Charlestown Road, reported at about 6:40 a.m. Manor Township Police said the burned vehicle was a Ford F-150 pickup truck, and two bodies were inside. The cause of the fire was determined to be arson, the complaint says.
The pickup truck was registered to Morales-Torres, the complaint says.
The Lancaster County Coroner's Office later identified one body as that of Morales-Torres and the other as Rivera.
Multiple witnesses along Hunsicker Road reported hearing what sounded like gunshots coming the area of Almodovar's home sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. Monday night, the complaint states.
