Sentenced imposed for 2011 fatal shooting in Hazleton

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

Sep. 22—WILKES-BARRE — A Mexican national accused of fatally shooting a man inside a Hazleton residence in 2011 was sentenced on Friday to spend up to 20 years in state prison.

Rafael Enrique Gonzalez-Aguirre, 50, pled guilty to third-degree murder in the deadly shooting of Cesar Robles, 30, of New York, inside 320 E. Chestnut St., on Oct. 29, 2011. Gonzalez-Aguirre was illegally living in the United States and resided at a house on Freemont Court, Hazleton, at the time of the shooting.

Luzerne County Deputy District Attorney Daniel E. Zola announced the plea agreement reached with Gonzalez-Aguirre's attorney, Allyson L. Kacmarski, before Judge David W. Lupas.

The plea agreement called for the withdrawal of an involuntary deviate sexual intercourse charge against Gonzalez-Aguirre.

Lupas immediately sentenced Gonzalez-Aguirre to 10 to 20 years in state prison.

Hazleton City Police obtained an arrest warrant for Gonzalez-Aguirre on Oct. 29, 2011, a day after he was accused of shooting Robles.

Robles was pronounced dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound from a .40-caliber handgun, Zola said.

Court records say Robles heard voices coming from a bedroom and as he walked upstairs, he was met by Gonzalez-Aguirre.

Robles turned around and was shot in the back, court records say.

Court records alleged Gonzalez-Aguirre sexually assaulted a woman inside the bedroom, resulting in Robles walking toward the bedroom door.

Hazleton police Detective Lieutenant William Gallagher and county Detective Chuck Jensen said the woman Gonzalez-Aguirre was accused of sexually assaulting was aware of the plea agreement.

Lupas gave Gonzalez-Aguirre credit for 1,329 days time served.

After the fatal shooting, Gonzalez-Aguirre fled the area. He was captured in 2022 in Mexico and extradited to the United States in September of that year.