After a week-long trial before Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas Judge Bradford Charles, Jouse Ortiz Serrano was found guilty of first-degree homicide for a 2022 revenge shooting in the 300 block of North 8th Street.
It took a jury almost an hour and a half of deliberations Friday afternoon to reach their verdict, saying Serrano was acting with specific intent to kill when he shot Jean Alvarado Rosado Feb. 23, 2022. Serrano pleaded guilty to the shooting in July 2023, but never the degree. It was the jury’s job during the trial to decide if it was first, third or voluntary manslaughter.
First Assistant District Attorney Brian Deiderick said Friday’s verdict speaks volumes about needing to put an end to the senseless violence in the Lebanon County community.
“This gun violence has gotten out of hand; everybody’s first answer is to get their gun and take care of it,” he said after the verdict was read. “It was clear in this case, and the jury agreed, the defendant in this case hunted the victim down Church Street onto 8th street, shot 20 rounds, hit him with 12, 10 from behind, and then proceeded to beat him to the point that the gun broke. That’s unacceptable, that’s premeditated, and the jury saw it for want it was. ”