LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster man accused of shooting and killing another man outside a convenience store earlier this month was ordered to stand trial for murder after a preliminary hearing on Thursday, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said.
21-year-old Carlos Almanzar-Torres is charged with criminal homicide and two counts of reckless endangerment connected to the shooting death of 19-year-old Damian Santiago. The shooting occurred on March 14 at the Sunoco A-Plus on the 100 block of West Orange Street in Lancaster.
Magisterial District Judge Bruce A. Roth determined the evidence presented at Thursday's hearing was sufficient to hold over the charges against Almanzar-Torres, prosecutors said.
Assistant District Attorney Sean Barrett presented testimony from Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Ryan Burgett, who is leading the investigation and filed charges.
Barrett showed video footage taken from inside and outside the store that showed the events prior to, during and after the shooting occurred, prosecutors said.
At about 10 p.m. on the night of the incident, the two men began arguing outside of the store. Almanzar-Torres had allegedly loaned Santiago money to pay for a phone bill, and the money had not yet been repaid, according to testimony.
As the argument continued into the store, surveillance footage shows Santiago punching Almanzar-Torres in the head, causing them both to fall to the floor.
The fighting continued on the floor, and a shot was fired from Almanzar-Torres’ firearm, according to testimony. The video footage did not capture how the firearm discharged.
Both men then returned to their feet, with Almanzar-Torres possessing the firearm and Santiago moving toward the back of the store.
Footage shows Almanzar-Torres attempting to unjam the firearm while following Santiago up and down the aisle separating them. He then raised the firearm over the shelf that was separating them and fired once, striking Santiago in the shoulder.
The bullet went through Santiago's lung and heart, according to testimony.
Almanzar-Torres allegedly told investigators he shot the victim because he felt threatened, according to testimony.
He then punched Santiago multiple times after he collapsed before leaving the store.
About an hour after the incident, Almanzar-Torres turned himself in at the Lancaster City Bureau of Police Station with his arms raised, stating he wanted to speak with police and that there was a firearm in the front seat of his car parked on the street.
Police recovered the firearm in Almanzar-Torres’ vehicle and sent shell casings and rounds recovered in the Sunoco/A-Plus to the state police lab for testing.
Two store clerks were present inside the Sunoco/A-Plus at the time of the shooting.
The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of the victim’s death to be a gunshot wound to the chest and the manner to be homicide.
Almanzar-Torres’ formal arraignment is scheduled for April 29.
