A group of men and teenagers whom officials are calling a "pack of wolves" have been arrested in connection with Coatesville's first homicide in nearly three years, authorities announced Tuesday.
Four of the five men wanted in the murder have been arrested, and a fifth remains on the loose. Police identified the four arrested as Dajon Rowe, 17, Steven Adams, 17, Demetrius Joseph, 21, and Chris Mansfield, 21. Tyler Adams, Steven Adams' 16-year-old brother, remains at large, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office.
Police said the homicide took place during the course of an armed robbery on Sunday. The said the five co-conspirators met in the wee hours of the morning in the Chester County city and were "looking for targets to rob" when they spotted four men on the porch of a house on 4th Avenue near Lumber Street about 2 a.m. and decided to rob them. The five approached the victims and "began to pat down the men for valuables," according to the Chesco DA's office. Mansfield then punched one of the victims in the head, the DA's office said, and Rowe pulled a handgun he'd been carrying and shot one of the men in the chest and another in the leg. The accused robbers then fled.
Authorities said the man shot in the chest, identified as Juan Antonio Jiminez, died from his injuries. The man shot in the leg survived. Police arrested Rowe later on Sunday, found a live round of 9mm ammo in his pocket and also found the 9mm handgun believed to have been used in the deadly shooting in his bedroom, according to the DA's office.
"The defendants were out hunting like a pack of wolves looking for prey," Chester County DA Tom Hogan said in a statement. "During the robbery, Dajon Rowe pulled a gun and shot one of the victims, killing him. Now one innocent man is dead and five young men face life in prison. This was a stupid and senseless crime with tragic consequences."
Authorities said the shooting marked Coatesville's first homicide since December 2012. They said detectives from the Coatesville Police Department and Chester County DA's office worked around the clock to solve the crime.
"Street crimes resulting in a homicide are exactly the type of crime that destroys the very fabric of a community," Coatesville Police Chief Jack Laufer said in a statement.
All four men arrested already are being held without bail. Police are continuing to search for Tyler Adams.
