LANCASTER, PA — In a resolution to a case that rocked Lancaster County, an 18-year-old city man has admitted to 60 charges related to a horrifying shooting at Park City Center mall. Jeremiahs Sanchez of Locust Street pleaded guilty on Thursday to a litany of offenses, including aggravated assault, possession of stolen property, and carrying a firearm without a license.
The chilling episode unfolded on the afternoon of October 17, 2021, when Sanchez, then only 16, was seen walking through the bustling shopping center armed with a loaded firearm later reported as stolen. With previous juvenile adjudications to his name, Sanchez was already flagged as a person not permitted to carry a firearm.
The situation rapidly escalated when 18-year-old Elijah Deliz and 30-year-old Sergio Vargas confronted Sanchez inside the mall. A violent altercation broke out, resulting in Sanchez discharging his weapon twice, hitting Deliz in the leg and another unrelated 30-year-old civilian in the arm. The civilian, who was accompanied by her 5-year-old child, was a mere bystander caught in the crossfire.
Vargas managed to wrestle Sanchez to the ground, but not before another shot was fired, wounding Vargas in the hand. An armed bystander, legally carrying a firearm, intervened, firing three shots at Sanchez and successfully disarming him.
The ensuing panic led to a mass evacuation of the mall, during which an elderly woman was tragically trampled, sustaining serious injuries including a broken elbow and an aspirated lung. She now resides in a personal care facility as a result of her injuries.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa presented the harrowing facts of the case to Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker, revealing that a total of 52 people, including men, women, and small children, were in the vicinity during the shooting.
Sanchez will be sentenced after a pre-sentence investigation is completed. In addition to any prison sentence, he has been ordered to pay $24,536.73 in restitution. The charges were filed by former Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective, now Lancaster County Detective, Stanley Roache.
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