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HAZLETON — City police arrested a 16-year-old who is charged as an adult after he allegedly fired at least five rounds at another man and later taunted the victim in a phone call Wednesday night.
Police responded to the area of Grant and First streets at about 6:40 p.m., finding bullet holes in a Honda Pilot and four shell casings on the ground.
While officers were at the vehicle, Juan Sandoval exited a residence and claimed a man he identified as Cherry La Para fired rounds at him from a handgun.
Sandoval claimed he was in the Honda when he was forced to stop due to the gunman standing in the road, according to a criminal complaint.
Sandoval said La Para is a Facebook name used by Deivy Noel Toribio, 16, of West Maple Street, Hazleton. Sandoval claimed he was friends with Toribio but has recently been feuding with him.
Sandoval alleged Toribio fired rounds from a handgun and walked away with another man.
As officers were speaking with Sandoval, Toribio called him saying, “You are in so much trouble right now, you’re lucky I didn’t kill you,” the complaint states.
Police went to Toribio’s residence in an attempt to arrest him. As officers surrounded the house, a man inside turned off lights and dropped a backpack from a second-floor window, police said.
Police said the backpack contained two handguns.
Toribio was arrested when police learned he was at a residence on West Diamond Avenue.
Police said they found .22-caliber ammunition in a bedroom.
Toribio was arraigned Thursday by District Judge Matthew C. Christopher in Luzerne County Central Court on three counts of simple assault, two counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of firearms not to be carried without a license and reckless endangerment. He was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $150,000 bail.