A 17-year-old is facing adult charges after a 74-year-old man was shot and killed Thursday evening in the Cementon section of Whitehall Township, in what authorities are calling a targeted attack on a residential patio.
Prosecutors identified the victim as Fernando Guerrero Tabera, who was found on an outdoor patio with multiple gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene. The teen suspect, Elijah Ceballos, has been charged as an adult in connection with the killing.
What investigators say happened
District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Whitehall Township police announced the charges, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office. Investigators say the shooting unfolded at about 5:07 p.m. on May 28 on the 5100 block of Third Street in Cementon.
The Lehigh County Coroner has ruled the death a homicide, and an autopsy is pending. Ceballos was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Kyle B. Miller and is being held in Lehigh County Jail without bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on June 3, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
Surveillance, witnesses and evidence
According to police, surveillance video captured a person identified as Ceballos standing on the porch, pointing a gun at Guerrero Tabera, then walking away while still holding the firearm. Investigators say they recovered 16 spent 9 millimeter shell casings from the street and the patio.
Prosecutors say the suspect’s father told detectives he believed his son was involved and agreed to a search of the family home on the 5300 block of Main Street. Inside, officers reported finding clothing that appeared similar to what was seen in the surveillance footage, along with a firearm that had an empty 17 round magazine.
"There is no danger to the public. This remains an active investigation and additional information will be released as appropriate," the Whitehall Township Police Department wrote on Facebook, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
Charges and court timeline
Prosecutors say Ceballos is facing felony counts that include criminal homicide and firearms offenses, along with misdemeanor counts for possession of a firearm by a minor and possessing instruments of crime. He was charged as an adult and arraigned on Friday. His preliminary hearing is set for June 3 in Magisterial Court, and for now he remains in custody without bail.
Officials say the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information or relevant video to contact Whitehall Township police or the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force.
