2 trials scheduled in Freeland vape shop slaying
A Luzerne County judge ordered two separate trials for five defendants charged in a 2022 Freeland vape shop murder.Summary
A Luzerne County judge ordered two separate trials for five individuals charged in connection with the December 2, 2022, fatal shooting outside the Fly Monkey Vape Shop in Freeland. Emmanuel Franklin Feliz, 20, of Hazle Township, will face trial first, with jury selection beginning November 6. The remaining four defendants—Wally Javier Barrera Torres, 21, Waili Bonilla, 21, Lysander Josue Pichardo, 19, and Edgar Polanco, 25, all of Hazleton—will stand trial together, with jury selection starting November 13. The group is accused of killing 18-year-old Rafiel Sanz and injuring a 15-year-old boy. Prosecutors allege the shooting stemmed from a fight involving one of the victims near the vape shop. All five face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and aggravated assault. Feliz, Pichardo, and Bonilla are also charged with carrying a concealed firearm without a license. A sixth suspect, Jhoan Solano Castillo, 19, died in December 2022 while incarcerated at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility following an inmate fight. His death remains under investigation, with no charges filed. The five remaining defendants are jailed without bail pending trial.
(Source：Standardspeaker)
