LANCASTER, PA — Carlos Almanzar-Torres, a 22-year-old resident of Lancaster City, has been convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of recklessly endangering another person. The conviction follows a three-day trial held before President Judge David Ashworth in Lancaster County Court.
Almanzar-Torres now faces a mandatory life sentence without parole for the killing of 19-year-old Damian Santiago. The fatal incident took place inside the Sunoco/A-Plus convenience store located in the 100 block of W. Orange Street on March 14, 2022.
Assistant District Attorneys Courtney Restemayer and Kyle Linardo prosecuted the case. Evidence and testimony presented during the trial included a video from inside the convenience store that captured the killing. The jury took just 53 minutes to deliberate before returning its verdict on Wednesday, agreeing with the prosecution that Almanzar-Torres intentionally and maliciously killed Santiago—factors necessary for a first-degree murder conviction.
The defense counsel had asked the jury to find Almanzar-Torres guilty of voluntary manslaughter. However, Restemayer argued, “Just because you regret what you did, it doesn’t negate the specific intent of your behavior.”
Evidence showed that both Almanzar-Torres and Santiago arrived at the Sunoco/A-Plus around 10 p.m. on the night of the incident. A disagreement over an unpaid loan for a phone bill escalated into a physical fight, during which Almanzar-Torres fired his gun. After an initial misfire, Almanzar-Torres successfully discharged his firearm, hitting Santiago in the shoulder. The bullet passed through Santiago’s lung and lodged in his heart, leading to his death.
Following the shooting, Almanzar-Torres fled to his apartment where he initially retrieved his passport. He later turned himself in at the Lancaster City Bureau of Police Station, where he confessed to the shooting and disclosed the location of his firearm.
Testimony and evidence confirmed that the shell casings and rounds found at the scene matched Almanzar-Torres’ firearm. The presence of two store clerks inside the Sunoco/A-Plus at the time of the shooting led to the additional charges of recklessly endangering another person.
Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Ryan Burgett was the lead investigator in the case. Almanzar-Torres is set to be sentenced at a later date.
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