LANCASTER, Pa. — An 18-year-old from Columbia will be tried as an adult for the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend after a Lancaster County judge denied a petition to move her case to juvenile court. Janiyah Torres, charged with criminal homicide and third-degree murder in the death of Anthony Serrano Jr., was 17 years old at the time of the incident in August 2023.
Judge Christopher Hackman ruled Tuesday that transferring the case to the juvenile system “will not serve the public interest.”
The decision followed a three-day hearing held earlier this month. Assistant District Attorney Janie Swinehart, who supervises the Juvenile Unit, presented testimony during the proceedings.
In his ruling, Hackman noted the severity of the offense and its impact on the community. “The nature of this crime has a severe impact on everyone involved because the loss is permanent,” Hackman wrote. He added that the death of the 19-year-old victim was “a tragic loss” for both Serrano’s family and the wider community.
Columbia police found Serrano with a single stab wound on Aug. 14, 2023, following a domestic dispute between the two. Torres, who had called 911, was taken into custody at the scene.
