Yet another murder; everyone quit killing each other, please
Police have arrested a Kensington man on murder charges after he allegedly shot a Crescentville man to death in April.
Police have arrested a Kensington man on murder charges after he allegedly shot a Crescentville man to death in April.
Orlando Garcia, 19, whose last known address was Cambria Street near E, is being held without bail pending a June 25 preliminary hearing. He's accused of killing Omar Rodriguez, 28, of F Street near Ruscomb, just before midnight April 9 in Rodriguez's home, said Officer Christine O'Brien, a police spokeswoman. Police found Rodriguez dead, with a gunshot wound to his eye, in a chair in his bedroom, O'Brien said.
Garcia also is charged with aggravated assault and related offenses because he allegedly shot another man outside the home with gunshot wounds to his elbow, side and back, O'Brien said. That man, 27, survived.
The motive wasn't specified. Court records show Rodriguez was a repeat offender with multiple drug convictions; Garcia had no prior adult arrests in Philadelphia.
There have been 99 murders so far this year in Philadelphia. That's the lowest in at least seven years; this time last year, there were 104 homicides for the year, according to police. In 2007, there were 177 murders by this date.
