Brother Charged In Death Of 4-Year-Old In Chester County

WEST CHESTER — An 18-year-old Coatesville teen was charged with manslaughter in the death of his 4-year-old brother, who shot himself in the head on Feb. 28 with his brother’s gun, officials said today.

Victor Lara-Oritz of the 300 block of East Chestnut Street is in Chester County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail after being arraigned before District Judge Gregory Hines in Coatesville on charges of involuntary manslaughter, firearms not to be carried without a license, endangering the welfare of a child, and related offenses.

Lara-Ortiz surrendered to police on Monday afternoon. Involuntary manslaughter is an unintentional killing through reckless behavior. It carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Coatesville police said Lara-Ortiz left a loaded firearm unsecured on his bedroom table.

The boy, Roman Aguilera-Ortiz, died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the Chester County coroner’s office.

Co-defendant, William Thomas, 31, is in Chester County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail after being arraigned before Hines on charges of illegally purchasing and transferring the firearm to Lara-Ortiz, delivery of a firearm to a minor, and related charges.

“For the safety of everyone, lock up your guns,” District Attorney Deb Ryan said during a press conference in the Chester County Justice Center.

“This heartbreaking and tragic death of an innocent child was 100% preventable, and now a family has to live with the devastating consequences for the rest of their lives.”

Ryan expressed sympathy to the Lara-Ortiz family.

“Victor Lara-Ortiz’s reckless and grossly negligent behavior directly led to the death of Roman Aguilera-Ortiz,” the district attorney said.

Thomas, a straw purchaser, illegally purchased and gave the gun to Lara-Ortiz, who was not legally permitted to own one, the district attorney said.

“This has to stop,” Ryan said. "We cannot lose another life to this senseless crime."

Gun violence: top priority

Ryan said that her office and Coatesville Police Chief Jack Laufer are doubling efforts to make gun violence a number one priority in response to an increase in gun violence in the city of Coatesville.

Laufer said: “The city of Coatesville police department and Chester County detectives have worked closely with the Ortiz family to allow them to grieve the loss of a child, while at the same time seeing that justice was served through a thorough investigation into the death of 4-year-old Roman.

“Today’s arrests are the result of the investigation, but not the answer to the gun crime facing Coatesville and other cities,” the chief said. "The problem of gun violence has to be addressed by police and the community at large."

The police complaint

According to police:

Coatesville city police and EMS were called to the 300 block of East Chestnut Street in Coatesville on Feb. 28, for the report of a child with a gunshot wound to the head.

The 4-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police recovered a semi-automatic Glock model 43x pistol lying next to the victim on the floor inside Lara-Ortiz’s bedroom during a search warrant of the residence.

The gun had one expended shell casing in the chamber.

A magazine with several unexpended bullets was inserted into the magazine well of the gun.

Investigators learned that Lara-Ortiz had left the loaded gun unsecured and unholstered on a table in his bedroom with the door open and unlocked when he left home earlier that day.

Lara-Ortiz was not home at the time of his brother’s death.

Detectives traced the gun’s serial number through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

They discovered that the Trop Gun Shop in Gap, Lancaster County, sold it to defendant William Thomas on Feb. 15.

Thomas was not allowed to license or purchase a firearm because of a prior criminal conviction.

Police said Thomas did not provide truthful information on his firearms application.

They said he used Lara-Ortiz’s phone number instead of his own and failed to report his prior conviction.

Police learned that Thomas illegally transferred the semi-automatic Glock 43x to Lara-Ortiz the same day he purchased it.

An examination of Lara-Ortiz’s cell phone showed a video of Lara-Ortiz firing the Glock from a car on Feb. 16 in Valley Township.

During this investigation, police also discovered that defendant Thomas attempted to purchase two other firearms illegally. On Feb. 15, at 1:30 p.m.

Thomas tried to purchase a firearm at Chester County Outdoors in Malvern, but the sale was declined after a background check.

An eyewitness reported that Lara-Ortiz was present with Thomas during this incident.

On Feb. 19, Thomas attempted to purchase a firearm again at the Trop Gun Shop. The sale was denied.

This case is assigned to Deputy District Attorney Erin O’Brien and Assistant District Attorney Dan Yarnall.

Anyone with information about these cases is asked to contact Detective/Sgt. Brandon Harris at 610-384-2300 ext. 3212 or Chester County Detective Keith Cowdright at 610-344-6866.