A Leola 15-year-old and a Lancaster city 18-year-old will be prosecuted in Lancaster County Court regarding the August killing of 31-year-old Johan Parra on St. Joseph Street.

Jayziah Echevarria, 18 of the 900 block of N. Lime Street, waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Adam Witkonis and faces charges of criminal homicide, second-degree homicide, third-degree homicide, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of carrying a firearm without a license, and recklessly endangering another person in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas.

Jomar Santos, 14 at the time of the killing of the first block of Country Drive, had a lead charge of criminal homicide and five related charges bound over to the Lancaster Court of Common Pleas following a preliminary hearing held Wednesday before MDJ Witkonis.

Santos also faces charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm by a minor, and recklessly endangering another person.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Miller presented evidence throughout the hearing that two responding Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officers discovered Parra deceased next to a car in the 400 block of St. Joseph’s Street on August 2, 2023, around 11:53 a.m.

The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office determined Parra’s cause of death to be gunshot wound to the back and manner to be homicide.

ADA Miller presented further photographs and videos from the Lancaster Safety Coalition showing both Santos and Echevarria wearing all black, walking to the area of the killing, running away from the scene around the time of the killing, concealing firearms in their sweatshirts, and returning together to a home in the 500 block of W. Vine Street.

Lancaster City Police Officer Harry Valverde and Detective Sergeant Thomas Ginder – the affiant in both cases – testified during the hearing that investigators arrested Santos and executed a search warrant at the W. Vine Street residence, where three 9mm handguns and two black New Balance sweatshirts were recovered.

Det. Sgt. Ginder further testified that he watched an interview Echevarria participated in with other investigators that revealed Santos wanted to commit a robbery the day of the killing.

On cross examination, Det. Sgt. Ginder testified that a .45-caliber pistol was recovered from Parra, a lone 9mm casing was found in the front passenger seat, and it was his understanding Santos was going to purchase marijuana from another person in the car with Parra before pulling out a gun to rob the victims.

Defense counsel asked for the robbery charge against Santos to be dropped, which MDJ Witkonis denied before bounding the defendant’s case over to Lancaster County Court.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty; both defendants will be arraigned October 13 at 9 a.m.

Assistant District Attorney Janie Swinehart is co-prosecuting the case.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.