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| Rodrigo Arana on Thursday after being convicted in Berks County Court of first-degree murder in the Sept. 12 slaying of a 15-year-old boy. |
A 20-year-old city man was convicted Thursday in Berks County Court of first-degree murder in the Sept. 12 slaying of a 15-year-old boy, whose sneakers were stolen.
Rodrigo Arana, of the 200 block of Pearl Street, was convicted of killing Willy Tineo-Ferreira during a 1:30 a.m. fight in the 900 block of Green Street.
Arana did not testify.
The jury deliberated for one hour following a three-day trial before Judge Scott D. Keller.
First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Arana’s lawyer, Mary Maran, of Philadelphia argued the slaying was in self-defense because Arana thought Tineo-Ferreira was going to kill him.
Assistant District Attorney Dennis J. Skayhan argued that the victim was shot eight times while lying on the ground without his sneaker on.
Earlier in the day, a Berks County judge dismissed second-degree murder charges against 19-year-old Julio Romero, accused of being the getaway driver.
Judge Scott D. Keller agreed with Romero’s attorney, Jack McMahon of Philadelphia, that there was no evidence presented to prove that Romero was involved in the fatal shooting.
Prosecutors said Romero drove three others to the 900 block of Green Street, where Willy Tineo-Ferreira was killed.
“Julio Romero had no knowledge of what was going to happen down the street from where he parked,” Keller said this morning.
McMahon’s request to dismiss the charges came after prosecutors completed presenting their case Wednesday.
Romero and Arana, both of Reading, have been on trial this week before Keller in the slaying of Tineo-Ferreira of Reading.
"My reaction is that Judge Keller should be highly commended for having the intellect and integrity to do the right thing based on the woeful evidence presented by the DA's office," McMahon said. "Wise and courageous decisions by the court should be admired by all who believe in fair justice.
"On the other hand the district attorney's office should be ashamed to have arrested and held in jail almost a year a young man they knew was not a participant in any way in the killing of young Wiley Tineo.
"They used the authority of their office to try to force and intimidate Mr.Romero to cooperate with them and give them information he could not have known all to further their agenda. Having been a homicide prosecutor myself years ago this 'strategy' should be repugnant to all decent people.
"Mr.Romero should be commended for having the guts not to fall victim to this abuse of authority and let justice take its course. Justice in this case being the fair-minded and enlightened Judge Keller."
District Attorney John T. Adams declined to comment until Arana’s trial is over.
During testimony Wednesday, prosecution witnesses Alfredo Uribe and Mario Ceballos, who are also co-defendants, testified under cross-examination by McMahon that Romero stopped the car to buy beer for the group, not start a fight.
“There was no discussion of robbing anyone or hurting anyone other than getting beer?” McMahon asked Uribe.
“Yes, sir,” Uribe answered.
Arana is charged with first-degree murder. Uribe and Mario Ceballos are charged with second-degree murder. The co-defendants each face a sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Ceballos testified Wednesday that he hit Tineo-Ferreira and stole his sneakers.
Romero was freed from the county prison, where he had been held without bail.
When the trail resumed this morning, Arana's sister, Theresa Robles of West Lawn, testified her brother was part of an anti-violence program.
“He’s peaceful,” Robles said. “Everyone loves him.”
Resources from. By Renaldo Scully
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