Cesar Delgadillo leaves the Luzerne County Courthouse after a pre-trial conference Wednesday.
Ed Lewis | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — The capital homicide trial of Cesar Delgadillo was continued Wednesday until the spring of 2027 at the earliest.
During a pre-trial conference before Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael T. Vough, Delgadillo’s attorneys, John B. Pike and Andrew B. Bigda, requested a continuance for more time to prepare their defense.
Without objection from Assistant District Attorneys Brian A. Coleman and Gerry Scott, Vough postponed the trial until April or May 2027. Delgadillo’s trial was originally scheduled to begin Nov. 2.
Pike and Bigda were not as fortunate on their second request to interview two children, who were removed from the Delgadillo house and placed in foster care. Two other children were also removed from the home.
Delgadillo, 40, was charged by the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop N, at Hazleton and detectives with the district attorney’s office with the beating death of his adopted son, 13-year-old Jacob Delgadillo.
Court records allege Delgadillo began beating Jacob on Aug. 3, 2025, with an electrical cord, a mallet and a back scratcher inside their home on Lois Circle in Butler Township. Delgadillo left the house but returned at 3 a.m. Aug. 4, 2025, and resumed his beatings upon Jacob, who died hours later at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Hazleton.
Delgadillo’s wife, Virginia Delgadillo, 35, was charged with child endangerment, hindering apprehension, and evidence tampering — as she allegedly attempted to clean up blood inside the house.
Last month, Pike and Bigda filed a motion seeking records from the Luzerne County Children, Youth, & Families involving the four children removed from the house, in addition to interviewing the children.
A motion hearing on July 15 was abruptly canceled as officials said at the time a “compromise” had been reached with the child protection agency.
However, Pike and Bigda renewed their request to interview two of the four children, resulting in a motion filed by prosecutors seeking a “protective order” to prevent the interviews.
Coleman said the legal guardian appointed for the two children has refused to allow the children to be interviewed, adding that the children do not need to be subjected to additional interviews by an “unknown defense expert.” Coleman further said recorded interviews of the children conducted at the Luzerne County Children’s Advocacy Center have been turned over to Delgadillo’s attorneys for their review.
Vough said the “law is very clear” that the legal guardian has the authority to deny or allow a request to interview the two children.
District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, Coleman and Scott filed notice of aggravating circumstances in their effort to seek the death penalty for Delgadillo, if convicted of first-degree murder.
The aggravating circumstances include Delgadillo committed a killing in the perpetration of a felony, while committing aggravated assault, endangered the welfare of children, and killed Jacob by means of torture.
Virginia Delgadillo, who remains jailed for lack of $250,000 bail, is scheduled to appear before Vough on Oct. 26. Attorney Lawrence J. Kansky represents Virginia Delgadillo.
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