WEST CHESTER, PA – Two high-profile Chester County prosecutions reached major turning points this week, with one former public official found guilty of opening fire during a confrontation and another man pleading guilty to killing a baby in his care.
Following a four-day bench trial, Timothy Hubbard, 50, the former Fire Marshal for Charlestown Township, was found guilty of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and related offenses. Judge Allison Bell Royer delivered the verdict after hearing evidence that Hubbard fired multiple rounds at a moving vehicle during a fire investigation confrontation.
Prosecutors said Hubbard chased a man he believed was linked to a fire, shooting twice into the rear window and trunk of the suspect’s car before ramming it with his own vehicle. According to testimony, Hubbard later misrepresented the events when questioned by Pennsylvania State Police investigators.
District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe praised the conviction, saying, “Being a Fire Marshal does not give him a free pass to endanger others.” Hubbard is awaiting sentencing on the assault and weapons charges.
West Grove man pleads guilty in child’s death
In a separate case, Enrique Lopez-Gomez, 32, of West Grove, pleaded guilty Tuesday to Murder in the Third Degree and Endangering the Welfare of Children in connection with the death of a 9-month-old boy. Lopez-Gomez was caring for the infant in June 2024 when he punched the child in the abdomen after reportedly falling on top of him and becoming frustrated when the baby cried.
Investigators said Lopez-Gomez did not seek medical attention even as the child’s condition deteriorated. The baby was later pronounced dead at Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, where doctors determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma leading to an intestinal rupture and internal hemorrhaging.
“The guilty plea to murder is an important step toward accountability for this unthinkable death,” DA de Barrena-Sarobe said. Lopez-Gomez remains held in Chester County Prison pending sentencing.
Justice and accountability in Chester County
The Chester County District Attorney’s Office credited thorough investigations by the Pennsylvania State Police for both cases, underscoring their ongoing efforts to prosecute violent crimes involving both public officials and civilians.
- Former fire marshal Timothy Hubbard convicted of shooting at a car during a confrontation
- Enrique Lopez-Gomez pleaded guilty to third-degree murder of a 9-month-old child
- Both defendants awaiting sentencing in Chester County Court
