Reading murder suspect arrested in New York

Steven Henshaw, Reading Eagle, Pa.
·3 min read

May 3—A Reading man who was wanted by city police on murder charges in the midday shooting of an acquaintance in the city's downtown last summer is in custody.

Vincent J. Sanchez, 33, was arrested in New York City, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams confirmed Friday.

Sanchez remains in custody awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania for arraignment on first- and third-degree murder charges in the July 21 slaying of Ellis C. Garman Sr., 44, at South Sixth and Cherry streets.

Adams said his office and Reading police had worked over the last nine months with the U.S. Marshals Service to apprehend Sanchez, but he didn't know the details of his arrest.

Sanchez's address listed in the criminal complaint was in the 100 block of South Sixth Street.

The probable cause affidavit provided these details:

Officers responded about 2:30 p.m. to the first block of South Sixth Street for a report of a shooting and found Garman lying in the middle of the street. A Reading Fire Department medic crew performed life-saving procedures before Garman was taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Officers found a pool of blood next to a parked car. The driver and front-passenger doors were open.

Police detained a witness at the scene who was taken to City Hall for an interview. The witness was a passenger in the car registered to Garman. He said Garman was driving north in the 100 block of South Sixth Street when he saw Sanchez on the west sidewalk.

Sanchez was known to Garman and his passenger as a result of family-related issues, the witness explained.

Sanchez signaled that he wanted Garman and his front-seat passenger to get out of the car and fight him. Garman parked on the west side of the street, and Sanchez walked up to the driver's side door and took a handgun from the fanny pack strapped across his chest.

Following a verbal exchange, Sanchez struck Garman in the face with the gun.

Garman and his passenger got out of the car and fought with Sanchez, who still had his gun. Another person approached and tried to take the gun from Sanchez but was only able to release the ammunition magazine. That person took the magazine.

Footage from a city pole-mounted camera shows the trio continues fighting for about two minutes before Garman and his passenger get back in the car.

Footage shows Garman beginning to drive away when Sanchez walks up to the drivers' side, extends his arm into the driver's side and, according to the witness, fires a single shot. The car lurches forward a short distance, stopping in the middle of the street.

Garman opens the door and gets out, falling to his knees, then his back. Sanchez fled.

The shooting was the first of three shooting incidents in the city during a 15-hour span. The other two shootings left two males with nonfatal injuries.