Man pleads guilty in deadly Hazle Twp. shooting

HAZLE TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man who was a suspect in a Hazle Township shooting that left an 18-year-old dead has pleaded guilty to his involvement.

Court officials report Ismael Alejandro Valdez-Batista of Mahanoy City has pleaded guilty to attempted homicide after he allegedly drove two suspects to an area where they shot and killed 18-year-old Rolando Cepeda .

In April 2023 state police responded to the area of West 23rd Street in Hazle Township for a report of a shooting.

Once on the scene, troopers stated they found Cepeda with gunshot wounds and transported him to the hospital. According to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio, Cepeda of Hazle Township died at the hospital due to multiple gunshot wounds he sustained in the incident.

A witness on the scene told police they saw two men with ski masks, walking behind Firestone Complete Auto Care and heard multiple shots being fired. Cepeda’s father stated to investigators that his son was sitting on a stool outside of his business when the shots were fired, according to court documents.

Through surveillance video, officers tracked down the license plate number and found it was registered to Valdez-Batista.

Valdez-Batista was interviewed and stated he had been contracted to drive a friend to the China Buffet. Valdez-Batista said he picked up his friend and another man who were targeting Cepeda because he was a member of the LCT gang, as stated in the affidavit.

Valdez-Batista was 17 at the time of the shooting and was charged as an adult.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.