The suspected shooter for a Sunday morning homicide in Reading was caught trying to flee the country by boarding a flight from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic, police said.
Earlier on Sunday, Aug. 2, the Berks County Coroner’s Office announced that they were investigating a deadly shooting that occurred at around 3:39 a.m. at a home at the 1400 block of North 5th Street in Reading.
A 32-year-old man was identified as the victim, but no information was given on a suspect at the time.
However, late on Sunday night, Reading police said that 43-year-old Federico Perez Polanco was the suspected shooter in the case and that he was taken into custody while waiting to board a flight to the Dominican Republic.
The coroner’s office said that the unidentified victim was pronounced dead at 8:37 a.m., however, police have clarified that Reading EMS pronounced the man dead at the scene at around 3:40 a.m.
Polanco is currently in custody awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania, where he faces a first-degree murder charge, police said.
The apprehension of Polanco was assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Transportation Security Administration, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, and the Port Authority Police Department of New York and New Jersey, police said.
The coroner’s office is working alongside the Reading Police Department to investigate the death, and a full autopsy is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 3, according to the coroner’s office.
The identity of the man killed is currently being withheld so officials can notify the next of kin.
Reading Mayor Eddie Morán released a statement as well, saying, “I want to thank the members of the Reading Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners for their quick and coordinated efforts to locate and apprehend the suspect. While today’s arrest is an important step toward justice, our hearts remain with the victim’s family and loved ones as they cope with this unimaginable loss. They are in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
