Philadelphia

Man sought in 3 murders — including the deaths of 2 children — arrested in Philly park

A 27-year-old man who was sought following a May 30 triple homicide in which two boys, aged 8 and 9 along with a 19-year-old man, were shot to death in Lebanon County, was arrested in Pennypack Park

Officers with the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force arrest Ivan Claudio Rosero, who was sought in the slaying of three people in Lebanon, Pa.
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Law enforcement officials have apprehended a man sought in the May 30 triple shooting in Lebanon that left three people dead -- a 19-year-old man and two young boys aged 8 and 9-years-old.

According to police, Ivan Claudio Rosero, 27, of Philadelphia, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of homicide, conspiracy, and firearm offenses for his alleged role in a triple homicide -- that also left an adult neighbor seriously wounded -- that happened along the the 400 block of North Fifth Street in Lebanon.

Rosero is the third person arrested in this incident.

Officials noted that prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for Rosero, just as they are for Alex Torres Santos, a 22-year-old who was, arrested last week and was, allegedly, wearing an ankle monitor due to two previous shooting arrests.

Officials said that state and federal law prohibit the prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against the third suspected shooter who has been arrested in this case, 16-year-old James Fernandez Reyes, because of his age.

“The tragic killing of two innocent children and a young man occurred just over a week ago today. Since called to the scene, Lebanon City Detectives, the Lebanon County Detective Bureau, and the DA’s Office has not stopped its quest to locate and arrest all three shooters," said Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf in a statement. "When children are killed, when a community is yet again endangered due to senseless gun violence, justice demands every ounce of effort possible. I cannot thank the Lebanon City Police Department and our County Detectives enough for their work in this case. To have three shooters identified and in custody all within a week is a true testament to the caliber of men each of our Detectives is. We are grateful to the State Police and Marshalls for their assistance in locating and arresting Rosero – through their efforts our community is safer. Our work in this case has just begun. We shift from arrest to trial preparation. I promise my office and the police will do everything in its power to hold the killers accountable.”

Law enforcement officials said that Rosero's arrest comes after "an intense, weeklong manhunt."

Officials said they were able to track down Rosero after the arrests of Santos and Reyes after they worked to identify the white BMW used in the commission of the homicide.

Investigators, police said, eventually linked the vehicle to to a home along Cumberland Street in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, where officials said, Rosero’s girlfriend, Tiffany Koziara, 34, lived.

Koziara, officials said, has also been charged with several offenses in this case.

At about 7:15 p.m., on Tuesday, officers with the United States Marshalls’ Fugitive Task Force arrested Rosero in Philadelphia's Pennypack park.

According to police, at the time of his arrest, Rosero was in possession of the keys to the white BMW sought in this incident and the vehicle was parked nearby.

Law enforcement officials said that, after being questioned by investigators, Rosero allegedly confessed to his involvement the deadly shooting, claiming he drove himself and the other shooters to and from the murders in the white BMW and that he allegedly admitted he "possessed a gun and fired multiple rounds" during the incident.

Rosero’s girlfriend, Koziara, has been charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, as police allege, she knowingly provided false information to investigators as to her contact with Rosero and his whereabouts on the day of the shooting and, officials believe she booked a hotel room for herself and Rosero on the same weekend that police served a search warrant to her home.

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