Family wants justice for woman who was shot, killed in Shamokin in 2018

Dec. 9—SUNBURY — Angelic Ortiz in February 2018 was prepared to share the best news with her daughter after a year of cancer treatments.

Ortiz, of Shamokin, was officially in remission after treatments for cervical cancer in New York and she called on Feb. 26, 2018, to tell her daughter that she had "a surprise" when she returned home. Ortiz never would share that news with Kasandra Ortiz. Her ride home was delayed, and she got a call saying her 23-year-old daughter died after Jose Colon allegedly assaulted, shot and killed her at Rock and Spurzheim streets in Shamokin.

It's been nearly five years and 14 continuances since that day and Colon has not been brought to trial. Colon, 46, of Shamokin, is scheduled for a status conference at 9:15 a.m. today in front of President Judge Charles Saylor.

"I called her for about three hours afterward because I didn't believe it, and nobody answered," said Angelic Ortiz via Zoom. "I got back to Pennsylvania as fast as I could, which happened to be the next day. That's when everything basically hit the fan."

Ortiz in 2015 moved with Kasandra and other siblings to Shamokin because she thought it was a safe place.

"I didn't see much violence," she said. "I figured it would be a good place for them to grow up."

One of six siblings

Kasandra Ortiz was the second oldest of six siblings. Kasandra's mother, along with her oldest sibling, Illyanna Santiago, of Cocoa, Fla.; and youngest sibling, Johnathan Stuart, of Hamburg, said Kasandra was a great and nice person.

"She taught my kids how to walk and talk," said Santiago. "This isn't something that should have happened."

Kasandra didn't have an easy life. The family at times put their trust in the wrong people, resulting in hardships over the years, they said.

"She had a pure soul," said Angelic Ortiz. "With everything that went on in her life, for her to still have the outlook on life that she had was just beautiful."

Angelic Ortiz described her daughter as a crafty person. She used to craft storm clouds when she was in a sad mood.

"You couldn't put anything broken in front of her because she could fix it into something else," she said. "She was very crafty."

Santiago said Kasandra's children, ages 7 and 9, are growing up without their mother. Santiago's grandmother is stressed out, too, Santiago said.

Colon confessed

Colon allegedly confessed to striking Ortiz in the head and face outside her apartment at 409 N. Rock St., Shamokin, and continuing the assault after she was knocked to the ground. Colon told police he dragged the bloodied woman to a nearby dirt lot at Rock and Spurzheim streets where he shot her once and left her body before fleeing the scene, according to court documents.

Police responded to the scene at 8:25 p.m. Feb. 26 on a report of gunshots. Officers found Ortiz dead, lying amidst a sport-utility vehicle, a dumpster and a storage container.

Police said Colon confronted Ortiz as he hunted a man who allegedly burned his friends in a drug transaction, paying $200 in counterfeit bills for the synthetic drug, "spice."

A standoff began after police officers tracked Colon to his top-floor apartment about 11 p.m. It continued overnight into Feb. 27, ending about 5:30 a.m. when he was struck by a bullet from a state police emergency response team member in an exchange of gunfire.

Colon is charged with 65 criminal counts, including homicide, from two consolidated cases. He is being held as an inmate without bail due to the nature of the charges.

Family concerned

The family said they are concerned with how long the case has been delayed since February 2018. They said several people who are considered witnesses should have been charged as co-conspirators, including two people who tried to hide Kasandra's body in the garbage, the driver of the vehicle that night and the person who allegedly gave Colon the gun. She claims some of those witnesses had her daughter's blood and gunpowder residue on them.

Santiago said she has reached out to the DA's office several times a month over the last six months without any real answers.

"In my opinion, the way I feel about it, they're not even concerned about it anymore," said Santiago.

Stuart questioned the integrity of the court system.

"I just wish Jose's trial would be over and my daughter would get justice," said Angelic Ortiz. "It's like a book that's not finished. She can't rest until this is all dealt with. She can't be at peace. All the good memories are getting clouded because of everything that's going on."

Santiago agreed.

"Realistically the only thing I want to see come from this is justice being served," said Santiago. "It's been almost five years now. I need some type of closure not only for myself, but my kids, my mom, my siblings. My kids every day still talk about her and are bothered by the fact that she is no longer with us."

DA ready for trial

Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Matulewicz said he, too, wants justice for Kasandra Ortiz.

"I agree it's a long time," he said. "We didn't file for any of the 14 continuances. I didn't ask for any of them, but I can't make this guy go to trial."

Matulewicz said the defense requested all the continuances. Some of the delays were due to COVID-19 restrictions throughout 2020 and 2021, but Colon also fired his attorney Jim Best, of Sunbury, before the case was set to go to trial.

"We're ready to go to trial," he said. "We requested a trial in February. We would need a month's notice to coordinate 20 witnesses and subpoena them for jury selection and trial."

Defense attorney Richard J. Fuschino Jr., of Philadelphia, is representing Colon.