The trial of three defendants charged with a May 2023 triple murder on Lebanon’s north side could be pushed to next spring, depending on the outcome of pretrial legal motions.

The defendants, Ivan Claudio-Rosero, 29, Alex Jadriel-Torres, 24, and James Fernandez-Reyes, 17, each face first-degree murder and related charges as the result of the shooting deaths of 19-year-old Joshua Lugo-Perez, 9-year-old Sebastian Perez-Salome, and 8-year-old Jesus Perez-Salome.

The shootings took place on the back porch of an apartment building at 444 N. 5th St. in the city. Jesus Perez-Salome died on the back porch, Sebastian Perez-Salome died at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and Lugo-Perez died at Wellspan Good Samaritan Hospital.

A fourth victim, 33-year-old Luis Cancel, was in his home next door and was also shot, but survived, when a round penetrated a wall.

All three defendants remain in jail without bail.

At the time of the triple murders, Torres-Santos was on bail and under house arrest while charged with two earlier shootings.

According to documents filed in court, Torres-Santos admitted to police that he was present at the North 5th Street shootings, but claimed that Fernandez-Reyes and Claudio-Rosero were responsible for firing guns into the rear of the multi-unit dwelling.

However, Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf has notified the court that she intends to seek the death penalty against Torres-Santos, suggesting that she believes he was also a shooter.

Hess Graf has also notified the court and defendants that she intends to prosecute all three at a single consolidated trial.

Even though he was under 18 at the time of the killings, the district attorney has charged Fernandez-Reyes as an adult, an option allowed by Pennsylvania law. His public defender, Michael Light, responded by filing a motion asking to have Fernandez-Reyes tried in juvenile court.

A hearing on that motion was held last Thursday before Judge Charles Jones, who ordered the parties to file legal briefs by Thursday, Sept. 12. Jones said he intends to announce a decision on whether Fernandez-Reyes will be tried in adult or juvenile court on Monday afternoon, Sept. 16.

If Fernandez-Reyes remains charged in adult court, a consolidated trial before next spring seems unlikely, since court orders entered in April gave Torres-Santos and Claudio-Rosero until Jan. 31 to file pretrial motions.

If Jones sends Fernandez-Reyes’ case to juvenile court, he would be entitled to a hearing separate from Torres-Santos and Claudio-Rosero.

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Chris Coyle writes primarily on government, the courts, and business. He retired as an attorney at the end of 2018, after concentrating for nearly four decades on civil and criminal litigation and trials. A career highlight was successfully defending a retired Pennsylvania state trooper who was accused,...

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