LANCASTER, PA — A Lancaster city man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder and two counts of recklessly endangering another person. The sentencing was announced by the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office on Friday.
Carlos Almanzar-Torres, 23, was found guilty by a jury in October 2023 for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Damian Santiago. The incident took place inside a Sunoco/A-Plus store in the 100 block of West Orange Street on March 14, 2022.
In a statement during the proceeding, prosecuting Assistant District Attorney CJ Restemayer said, “We are here for the actions of an angry man. This is a man who hunted another human being and tried to shoot him five times. He then punched the victim multiple times as he lay dying. On that day, he ended two lives: Damian Santiago’s and his own.”
Restemayer further revealed that the murder stemmed from a dispute over $50 and a fistfight. “[The victim] didn’t deserve to die,” she said, acknowledging the presence of Santiago’s family members who attended the trial in support. “The [victim’s] family asked for justice and the jury delivered it.”
In addition to first-degree murder, Almanzar-Torres was also convicted of recklessly endangering the two Sunoco/A-Plus employees present during the killing. This resulted in an additional sentence of 20 months to 4 years, to be served consecutively with the mandatory life imprisonment.
President Judge David Ashworth, while noting that it was unusual for Almanzar-Torres’ presentence investigation packet to be so thin with no prior record considering the crime he was convicted of, stated that it was not an excuse for his actions. “This situation was entirely and completely avoidable and entirely and completely unnecessary,” Ashworth said.
Almanzar-Torres and his defense counsel declined to make a statement during the hearing. The case was led by Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Ryan Burgett, with Assistant District Attorney Kyle Linardo co-prosecuting alongside Restemayer.
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