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WILKES-BARRE — One of two suspects charged Thursday in last week’s fatal shooting of Trevor Oliver inside a Hutson Street residence was himself wounded by gunfire, according to arrest papers, apparently at the hands of his co-defendant.
Robert Rodriguez, 23, of Plymouth, suffered a wound to his leg during the alleged shooting that led to the death of Oliver, 41, and injured his girlfriend, Ingrid Vanessa Batista, 39, inside 77 Hutson St. on Feb. 7.
Details about the shootings emerged in criminal complaints made public Thursday, as Rodriguez and another man, Isaiah Tyrone Jennings, 19, of Wilkes-Barre, were charged and arraigned in the case.
After the shootings, the injured Rodriguez made it back to a vehicle parked nearby on Dana Street and called Jennings saying, “(Racial slur) I think you shot me. You were supposed to come in behind me and shoot them,” according to the complaints.
Police found Oliver with multiple gunshots on the kitchen floor. He died Monday at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Batista was taken to General Hospital and flown to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Dauphin County.
An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Gary Ross revealed Oliver died from multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide by Luzerne County Coroner Bill Lisman.
Rodriguez was arrested Monday night during a traffic stop on West End Road in Hanover Township, authorities say. Jennings was arrested Tuesday for drug-related allegations.
Investigators believe the motive for the shootings was robbery, as Rodriguez allegedly told others he robbed Batista and Oliver of money and drugs.
Rodriguez and Jennings were separately arraigned late Thursday afternoon by District Judge Rick Cronauer in Wilkes-Barre on charges of criminal homicide, criminal attempt to commit homicide and criminal conspiracy to commit homicide. They were remanded to the county lockup without bail.
A knock at the door
Detectives with city police and Luzerne County allege Rodriguez entered the residence after knocking on the door, which was opened by Batista, who was getting ready to go pick up a pizza.
She knew Rodriguez only as “Rob,” and that he worked with Oliver at a food manufacturing business on South Main Street. He was followed inside by Jennings, police say.
As Batista was putting on shoes, she told police, she looked up and Rodriguez brandished what she described as a revolver and began firing, according to the criminal complaints.
Batista was struck in the chest, head and wrists. She fell to the floor, but heard more gunshots.
After Rodriguez and Jennings fled the house, Batista got up and took a girl from her residence and summoned help from 67 Hutson St., where police found her, court records show.
‘We gotta go’
Detectives learned Rodriguez earlier called a woman, identified only as Witness 1, for a ride, according to the complaints.
She picked up Rodriguez from a residence on Garber Street in Hanover Township, then picked up Jennings on North Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez then directed Witness 1 to park on Dana Street. Rodriguez and Jennings then walked to 77 Hutson St., police say.
After a few minutes, Witness 1 allegedly claimed Rodriguez ran back to the vehicle, out of breath and yelling: “We gotta go.” Witness 1 claimed Jennings kept walking, resulting in Rodriguez calling Jennings on his cellphone.
Witness 1 alleged Rodriguez was bleeding. When asked about it, Rodriguez replied, “Don’t worry about it,” the complaints indicate.
Jennings allegedly told detectives Rodriguez was armed with .357 caliber and .22 caliber handguns when they entered 77 Hutson St. Jennings claimed he stood by the front door, and when Rodriguez began firing, he walked out of the house toward Dana Street.
Rodriguez alleged Jennings was the gunman.
In a separate incident, Rodriguez was arraigned Wednesday by Cronauer on aggravated assault and simple assault charges stemming from a shooting that injured a man on Parrish Street, Wilkes-Barre, on Feb. 2. Cronauer confirmed that he arraigned Rodriguez on Wednesday but the criminal complaint and affidavit is sealed.
Under a change to Pennsylvania’s criminal code, enacted in 2014, prosecutors can request a county judge to keep arrest warrants sealed for 60 days based on “good cause.”
