READING, Pa – Amid a block-long crime scene following an apparent murder-suicide, one Reading woman searched for her friend.
“This is my best friend’s sister that passed away,” said Jarelle Ramirez. “It’s hard, because she’s going through it right now and I can’t find her, so I’m looking for her. I’m sorry.”
RPD officers and paramedics were dispatched shortly after 2:30 p.m.
A man and a woman were killed in the 1100 block of Robeson Street early Monday afternoon, in what was Reading’s first homicide of 2020, according to Berks County District Attorney John Adams, who declined to release the names of those involved.
Friends of the family tried to make sense of what happened.
“They been having problem. It has been off and on-going domestic relationship problem that they’re having,” said Rafael Pichaido, another family friend. “At first, I know they were separated, and I guess supposedly she got a PFA (protection from abuse order) against him.”
The shooting has increased the strain on an already struggling but close-knit neighborhood.
“It’s crazy. You just try to cope with everything, but it’s hard when you can’t do too much, especially with everything shut down like this,” Ramirez said. “What are you supposed to do?”
Patrick Manwiller | 69 News
Neighbors and family members said the couple leave behind multiple children.
“I’m sorry for [the children] to be going through this,” Ramirez said. “No one should go through this, and then these kids growing up without their parents. It’s gonna be sad and hard. It’s tough.”
As community members cope with the loss, they are already planning to rally around those kids.
“Yeah, definitely. There’s a lot of love,” Ramirez said. “That’s one thing. There’s a lot of love.”