HARRISBURG, PA — A man convicted of opening fire on a crowded Philadelphia street corner in 2018, killing two men steps from a neighborhood market, has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Attorney General Dave Sunday said Mario Ramirez, 38, received consecutive life-in-prison sentences for the fatal shootings of Jose Vega, 38, and Anthony Torres, 23, in a case that prosecutors described as a brazen act of gun violence carried out in full view of the public.
The sentencing follows October 2025 convictions secured by the Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force, with a jury finding Ramirez guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and related offenses. Charges in the case stemmed from the work of the 47th Investigating Statewide Grand Jury.
According to trial testimony, the shootings occurred just before 7 p.m. on August 22, 2018, outside La Corona Market at the corner of H and Thayer streets. Ramirez exited a vehicle armed with an assault rifle and opened fire. Torres was killed at the scene, while Vega was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Several bystanders were nearby when the gunfire erupted, including Torres’ young son, who was riding a toy scooter, and his two-year-old brother. Investigators recovered dozens of shell casings scattered across the street and sidewalk.
“For several years, the victims’ families and friends have grieved without knowing their loved ones’ killer was held accountable,” Sunday said. “We hope this sentencing brings them a measure of justice. This callous, cold-blooded murderer will never again pose a threat to our communities.”
Family members of both victims attended the sentencing hearing. Vega’s daughter told the court her father was “always there” for her. Torres’ family delivered a victim impact statement describing a loss that continues to shape their lives, saying his death left children without a father, parents without a son, and siblings without a brother.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Helen Park, with investigators from the Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit playing a central role in building the case.
Authorities said a second man who was inside the vehicle with Ramirez and also fired shots has not been charged. That investigation remains ongoing.
With the sentence imposed, prosecutors said the verdict closes a painful chapter for families and a community haunted by a burst of gunfire that turned an ordinary evening into tragedy.
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