ALLENTOWN, PA — A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Jan. 22.
Yaniel Fermin, of Allentown, is charged with criminal homicide, possession with intent to deliver and possession of a firearm by a minor.
Fermin is being held in Lehigh County Jail without bail and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Jan. 30 in Lehigh County Central Court.
At 9:16 p.m. Jan. 22, Allentown Police were called to the 500 block of West Washington Street for a report of a man who had been shot in the back of a residence.
Officers found the victim, identified as Jeomy Miguel Soto, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Soto, 19, died at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Muhlenberg and his death was ruled a homicide by the Lehigh County Coroner.
An autopsy was held Jan. 23 at the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office after which the cause of Soto’s death was determined to be gunshot wounds and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.
A witness told police he was with Soto at the time of the shooting and met with a man he only knew as “Po” to collect money owed to him for the sale of THC vapes.
“Po” was later identified by police as Yaniel Fermin.
Fermin disagreed about the money owed and a fight ensued between Fermin and the witness.
During that fight, Fermin was in possession of a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and fired at least two shots which struck Soto who was standing nearby.
Jan. 23, Fermin was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Allentown Police Department patrol officers near the area of 6th and West Cedar Streets.
Inside that vehicle in close proximity to Fermin, police found THC vapes, a large amount of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.
Fermin was taken into custody at approximately 12:30 p.m. Jan. 23.
Although he is 17 years of age, Fermin was arrested as an adult on all charges as permitted by Pennsylvania law at the discretion of the district attorney.
