ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Florida man charged with homicide in a 2023 shooting was in Lehigh County Jail on Friday following extradition from his home state, the district attorney’s office said.
Alberto Jose Rios-Santiago, 26, of Deltona, Florida, was arrested Feb. 13 and held in Florida on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault and possessing instruments of a crime.
He was arraigned Friday in Lehigh County Court and denied bail, prosecutors said.
Authorities allege Rios-Santiago fatally shot 28-year-old Blessing Tavares and injured two others outside the Mamajuana Restaurant and Grill on Union Boulevard.
Lehigh County District Attorney's office
Authorities allege Rios-Santiago fatally shot 28-year-old Blessing Tavares and injured two others outside the Mamajuana Restaurant and Grill on Union Boulevard.
On Jan. 22, 2023, officers were dispatched to 1038 Union Blvd. for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found a 28-year-old female with a gunshot wound.
The victim, Blessing Taveras, died at a local hospital, and police also located a second victim at an area hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg.
The criminal complaint against Rios-Santiago, which would provide details about the investigation and charges, was not immediately available Friday afternoon.