Two adults, one teen charged in deadly 2022 lancaster shooting during botched gun robbery

LANCASTER, Pa. — Two men and a now-19-year-old juvenile have been charged in connection with the 2022 fatal shooting of a 30-year-old man during a botched robbery involving a stolen handgun, authorities announced.

Luis Javier Rivera, 23, of East King Street; Jorge Luis Santiago, 26, of Coral Street; and a then-17-year-old juvenile were involved in the Dec. 9, 2022, incident that resulted in the death of James Diggs. The juvenile, who was shot twice during the altercation, returned fire in what investigators have determined was an act of self-defense.

Police say the events unfolded on Ruby Street around 11:30 p.m., when the juvenile arranged a gun trade through social media after stealing a 9mm handgun earlier that day. The trade was a ruse by Rivera, Santiago, and Diggs, who allegedly planned to rob the juvenile of the firearm. A physical struggle ensued when the juvenile realized the trade was fake, leading Diggs to shoot the juvenile. The juvenile fired back, striking Diggs five times and killing him.

Rivera told investigators that the trio brought a fake gun to deceive the juvenile and used force to take the stolen weapon. Security footage captured audio of the altercation and a white sedan, linked to Santiago, leaving the scene shortly after the shooting. Police later recovered the stolen firearm during a search of the juvenile’s residence, where he admitted to stashing it after the incident.

The juvenile, who was hospitalized for gunshot wounds, faces charges in the juvenile system for firearm theft, illegal possession, and related offenses. Rivera and Santiago face multiple charges, including aggravated assault, robbery, and conspiracy.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.