ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Thursday was day three of a double-homicide trial inside the Lehigh County Courthouse. An Allentown man faces the possibility of life in prison for the shooting deaths of a woman and her 13-month old grandson in 2023. The victim’s husband rushing to their aid was also shot, but lived to tell what he saw in court this week.

Family of beloved victims filled one side of a courtroom starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday. All the way to their left sat the accused with his defense.

Prosecution is accusing 45-year-old Gabriel Cartagena of knocking on the door of a Chestnut Street home with a gun drawn in December of 2023.

Ada Ortiz answered the door with her 13-month-old grandson, Sebastian, in her arms. Both were killed by multiple gunshots.

Ada’s husband, Leandro Ortiz, came running, and later testified he was shot in the chest while pushing the shooter out of his house.

Ortiz on Tuesday said on the stand he knew Cartagena was responsible because he saw him up close, but the defense says Ortiz didn’t positively identify Cartagena until about one week ago. 

Surveillance footage in court shows the moment a gun is drawn. Then shots, followed by screams, can be heard in the video.

But in the darkness of night, it’s hard to make out a face on the screen.

Prosecution on Thursday tried to prove it was Cartagena by showing clearer pictures of surrounding streets before and after the shooting. In some videos, the prosecutors and some of their witnesses identify Cartagena, noting his light hat, distinct boots and in some footage, a tattoo on his hand.

The prosecution on Thursday asked Cartagena to show his paw-print tattoo on his hand to the jury, which he obliged.

The defense meanwhile, argued that in the darker videos, the hat appeared to be a different color. Defense also said the jacket worn by the person in question in various footage appeared puffier in certain videos, bringing into question whether the person throughout each video and angle is all one and the same person.

Prosecutors on Thursday also aimed to prove Cartagena had a cigarette in his hand while allegedly walking up to the house just before the shooting.

That’s because one day earlier, DNA evidence was presented connecting Cartagena to a cigarette butt found outside the home of the shooting. 

Defense had previously argued video of what appears to be the shooter flicking the cigarette to the ground could just be headlights causing reflections in the lens.

Prosecution showed multiple videos leading up to the shooting appearing to show a light directly on the defendant’s hand, and also the appearance of smoke appearing to be puffed out in various videos leading up to the time of the shooting.

Surveillance footage appears to show the shooter walking toward the Ortiz’s home, while flicking what appears to be a cigarette butt onto the ground just before the shooting.

Also, one detective serving as a witness for prosecution testified that one video shows Cartagena getting into the passenger side of a car following the shooting. The detective says he believes the driver of the car is Cartagena’s brother, Angel Silva.

So far, no word on why Silva has not appeared in court.

On another note, the first witness of the day came from state police’s crime lab, who testified that gunshot residue was found on the passenger side of Cartagena’s mother’s car days after the murders. But there are many unknowns there, including how long the residue was there for, and the caliber of the gun.

69 News spoke with some of the victims’ family. Alexy, the daughter of Ada Ortiz and mother of 13-month-old Sebastian, tells 69 News that Ada was a loving woman of God, who took care of not just her own children, but all the kids in the neighborhood.

The family adds that while they believe Cartagena is guilty, they did not know him well, and have no idea why their family would be targeted.

The prosecution rested Thursday afternoon just before 3 p.m. The defense rested without presenting evidence, though it cross-examined many witnesses. Cartagena exercised his right to remain silent and declined testifying.

The jury will gather at 9 a.m. Friday morning to decide on a verdict.