A Chicago man is staring down decades in a Pennsylvania state prison after admitting to a violent, multi-county crime spree that prosecutors say involved a carjacking, a home invasion and shots fired on Interstate 80. On Thursday, Luzerne County Court sentenced 34-year-old Isaac D. Cintron to 20 to 40 years, a term he must serve before Connecticut can move to extradite him on a separate murder warrant tied to a December shooting in New Haven.
Plea deal and sentence
Cintron pleaded guilty under a deal that called for a 20 to 40 year sentence, and Judge Michael T. Vough went along with the negotiated term, according to the Citizens' Voice. Prosecutors said the plea covered multiple aggravated assault counts and that Cintron received credit for 557 days already spent in custody. His attorney, Stephen Palubinsky, told the court Cintron was deeply remorseful, calling him “possibly the most remorseful client I’ve had in my career,” the outlet reported.
How authorities say the spree unfolded
According to court records and local reporting, the chaos began in Drums when officers spotted a Ford Explorer that had been reported stolen sitting in the parking lot of a Dunkin' at 547 N. Hunter Highway. When police tried to stop the SUV, Cintron fled, allegedly jumped onto Interstate 80, hit another vehicle and fired shots at a driver before ditching the Explorer.
From there, investigators say Cintron climbed through a first-floor window of a home in the Sand Springs development, threatened the homeowner with a gun, then carjacked a woman, telling her to take her 3-year-old son with her. He was later taken into custody on State Route 54 in Rush Township, according to the Times Leader.
Connecticut murder warrant and extradition
Authorities in Connecticut say Cintron is also tied to the Dec. 24, 2024, fatal shooting of 43-year-old Heriberto Cotto in New Haven. The two men had been in an argument shortly before the shooting, New Haven police said, according to the New Haven Register.
An arrest warrant was later issued in that case, and officials say Cintron, who has been held in Pennsylvania on the unrelated charges, is awaiting extradition to Connecticut, the Patch reports.
Legal note
Prosecutors say the Luzerne County plea clears out Cintron’s Pennsylvania cases while leaving Connecticut free to pursue its homicide charges. As part of the agreement, additional counts including attempted murder and robbery were withdrawn, and Cintron will serve the Luzerne County term with credit for time already served before any extradition to Connecticut, according to the Citizens' Voice.
