Teen accused of spraying a car with gunfire waives hearing and case moves to county court
LANCASTER, PA — A 16-year-old Lancaster teen accused of firing a handgun into a parked car and striking the vehicle four times waived his preliminary hearing, clearing the way for the case to proceed to Lancaster County Court.
Edwin Ortiz, of the 400 block of Atlantic Avenue, waived the hearing before Judge Jodie Richardson on Oct. 9 on two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, one count of possession of a firearm by a minor, one count of carrying a firearm without a license and one count of propulsion of missiles into an occupied vehicle. The charges stem from an incident the evening of July 7 in the 500 block of East Strawberry Street, when Ortiz is accused of opening fire into a car in which two people were seated.
One victim suffered bruising to her leg from a bullet fragment; neither victim was seriously injured. Police found a bullet fragment on the front-seat floor and another hole torn through a rear headrest. Investigators identified the vehicle Ortiz was riding in using Lancaster Safety Coalition video; the vehicle’s driver told detectives Ortiz directed him to the intersection of East Strawberry and Woodward streets, produced a gun and fired at the victims’ car shortly after 8 p.m. before concealing the weapon in his waistband as they left the area.
As a juvenile, Ortiz is not legally permitted to possess a firearm. In a separate proceeding on Oct. 9, Judge Richardson set bail at $150,000; Ortiz remains detained at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center in lieu of that amount. Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Ryan Burgett filed the charges. Assistant District Attorney Andrew Harbaugh will prosecute the case. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Key Points
- Edwin Ortiz, 16, waived his preliminary hearing on Oct. 9 and the case will proceed to county court
- Ortiz is charged with multiple counts including aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a minor after a July 7 shooting that struck a vehicle four times
- Bail was set at $150,000 and Ortiz remains detained at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center