ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A man who authorities say exchanged gunfire in an incident that led to the death of a 24-year-old has been sentenced to serve 7 1/4 to 15 years in state prison.
Joshua Ortiz, 28, of Allentown, had pleaded guilty April 22 to attempted murder — a first-degree felony — in the June 4, 2023, incident in the parking lot of AutoZone, 1871 S. Fifth St.
That incident led to the fatal shooting of Edgar Gonzalez, 24, of Allentown.
Ortiz was sentenced Tuesday by Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony.
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said in a news release that the investigation showed the shooting occurred when one group of individuals targeted a second group.
Here is what the release said happened:
The first group was in a sedan that contained five people, including the defendant Ortiz and Gonzalez.
Ortiz and Gonzalez's group followed the second group — which included six adults and a 3-year-old child — at AutoZone and threatened them for a brief period.
That culminated in a physical altercation in the parking lot of the AutoZone.
Altercation turns deadly
During the altercation, Ortiz brandished a semi-automatic handgun and opened fire on the second group, firing several rounds.
An individual identified publicly only as John Doe had met the second group to offer a ride. Some in the group were his family members, authorities said.
Doe fired back in self-defense at Ortiz and hit Gonzalez, killing him.
Because Doe was determined to be in legal possession of a handgun and also justified in using deadly force in defense of himself and others, then-District Attorney James Martin ruled the shooting justified and Doe faced no charges in the death of Gonzalez.
Ortiz also was hit by a shot fired by Doe and was treated for a gunshot wound.
The case was investigated by Allentown Police Detective Ariel E. Vidal and the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, and was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Ramma R. Mineo.
