Police: Argument over woman triggers fatal shooting in Sunbury

Nov. 4—SUNBURY — An argument over a woman appears to have led an 18-year-old Sunbury man to shoot and kill another man, leaving him dead in the middle of the city's main street late Thursday night, city police report.

Jose David Jusino-Morales, of Susquehanna Avenue, has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of Eliud Marrero-Morales. Sunbury police filed the charges Friday morning.

Jusino-Morales and a second suspect, Armando Pena-Alvayero, 21, of Church Street, of Sunbury, both appeared in front of Sunbury District Judge Rachel Wiest-Benner on Friday morning. Pena-Alvayero is charged with tampering with evidence.

Pena-Alvayero, who police said is from El Salvador, was sent to Northumberland County Jail in lieu of $350,000 cash while Jusino-Morales was remanded to the county jail without bail, as required in a criminal homicide case.

Police were called to the 400 block of Market Street around 11:30 p.m. Thursday for a report of a man shot multiple times, according to court documents.

When officers arrived they found Marrero-Morales dead on the street. During a preliminary investigation, a relative of Jusino-Morales arrived and told officers he was "pretty sure" his brother was involved in the incident, police said.

Officers were notified the man was at the police station a few blocks away. When officers arrived at headquarters, they placed Jusino-Morales in handcuffs, police said.

Officers waited for a translator to arrive before questioning the man about the incident, according to Acting Police Chief Travis Bremigen.

Jusino-Morales told police an argument began between the victim and himself over a woman named "Amanda, according to arrest documents.

He told police he saw Marrero-Morales come to the area of the Front Street Car Wash, on Front Street, and when he left the area, Marrero-Morales followed them down Front Street where they made a right-hand turn onto Market Street while both parties were speaking to each other on cell phones, according to court documents.

Jusino-Morales claims Marrero-Morales told him to pull over so he could punch him in the face and kill him, according to court documents.

Both vehicles eventually pulled over in the 400 block of Market Street and Jusino-Morales allegedly told officers the three men got out of the vehicles and began to argue, police said.

Jusino-Morales told police that during the argument Marrero-Morales told him if he didn't start walking toward him he would kill him, court papers state. Jusino-Morales claims Marrero-Morales kept his hands behind his back, police said.

Jusino-Morales told officers he told the man he didn't want any trouble and thought Marrero-Morales had a gun but he didn't see it, police wrote in arrest papers.

Investigators said Jusino-Morales allegedly admitted he pulled the trigger of a 9 mm pistol and sped away from the scene.

Jusino-Morales told police he threw the weapon in the river near the Sunbury boat launch, but at around 4 a.m. Pena-Alvayero arrived at the police station and told officers he had the handgun, police said.

Pena-Alvayero told police he left work with Jusino-Morales and Jusino-Morales received a phone call from Marrero-Morales stating he was parked by Pena-Alvayero's home, police said.

Pena-Alvayero told officers Jusino-Morales said he didn't want to fight so when the two saw Marrero-Morales, Marrero-Morales began to slam his vehicle into Jusino-Morales's vehicle, police said.

Both vehicles pulled over in the 400 block of Market Street and an argument began. That is when Jusino-Morales reached into his vehicle and grabbed a handgun, police said Pena-Alvayero told officers.

Pena-Alvayero told officers that Jusino-Morales shot Marrero-Morales and the two then jumped back in the vehicle and fled the scene, court papers state.

Pena-Alvayero told officers Jusino-Morales handed him the handgun and said, "Put it in a safe place," so he put the gun in his bedroom, police wrote in arrest papers.

When Pena-Alvayero's sister came home he explained the situation to her and she advised him he needed to go to the police station, according to court documents.

Bremigen said he spoke to Jusino-Morales a second time and Jusino-Morales admitted he did not throw the weapon in the river.

Both men were led into Wiest-Benner's courtroom wearing bulletproof vests for their hearings on Friday morning.

Neither man spoke to the media. A state police translator arrived and repeated Weist-Benner's instructions, while Pena-Alvayero argued he did not have $350,000 in bail money. Wiest-Benner explained she needed to protect the community and because Pena-Alvayero had ties out of the country, she needed to ensure he would appear for any court dates.

Northumberland County Assistant District Attorney Dave Albertson is prosecuting the case.

Both men will appear before Wiest-Benner for a preliminary arraignment on the charges at 9:15 a.m. on Nov. 14.