Prosecutors forced to show some evidence in Hazle Township homicide

Ed Lewis, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Jul. 23—WILKES-BARRE — Luzerne County prosecutors Tuesday played video of homicide suspect Reymer Gonzales bragging about Rolando K. Cepeda being in a body bag on April 14, 2023.

Assistant district attorneys James L. McMonagle and Brian A. Coleman used the video to illustrate Gonzales, 19, of Hazleton, used the screen names Joca Grxmes and King Jocsta on social media apps and was known on the street by those nicknames.

Pennsylvania State Police at Hazleton and Bloomsburg initially identified the gunman as Joca Grxmes before learning the real identity of Gonzales.

The video along with several text messages were displayed by McMonagle and Coleman during a motions hearing before Judge David W. Lupas.

Gonzales' attorney, William L. Stephens Jr., is seeking to have chat logs, text messages, emails and videos prohibited from his client's trial as those communications could not be authenticated.

State police in court records say Cepeda, 18, was sitting on a stool outside Performance Auto Repair on West 23rd St., Hazle Township, when two men wearing masks approached. One of the masked men fired multiple shots striking Cepeda and Carlos D. Jorge, who survived.

Cepeda died April 15, 2023, at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest.

Stephens argued Gonzales was arrested on the basis the gunman was identified as Joca Grxmes but investigators have not uncovered if anyone else used Gonzales' social media accounts or used the same screen name. Stephens is also seeking to prohibit any social media videos associated with Gonzales from being shown to a jury.

Trooper Kenneth Santos testified Tuesday the video that aired live on SnapChat and hosted by Gonzales just hours after Cepeda was shot referenced details of the shooting that were not known publicly. Gonzales used the screen name Joca Grxmes on the video.

Santos further uncovered text messages that advised Gonzales "to leave Hazleton and get on a plane," and listed an address in Boston, Mass., which resulted in Gonzales' arrest.

Text messages recovered from one of two Gonzales' cellular phones revealed a co-defendant in the shooting, Ismael Valdez Batista, 19, spoke to investigators about the shooting, Santos said.

Gonzales is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and three counts of criminal conspiracy.

Valdez Batista, represented by Attorney Frank T. McCabe II, is charged with criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide, criminal conspiracy and criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault.

Their combined trial is scheduled for September.