Investigators still haven’t identified the motive for the fatal stabbing of Leonardo Mercardo-Gomez who was followed by a man on a bicycle as he was walking home from his workplace on a spring afternoon in northwest Reading.
The only connection between the 56-year-old Reading man and the man accused of killing him is that both worked at the Sun Rich Foods off West Buttonwood Street, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said at a news conference Monday, four days after the arrest of Oliver J. Paniagua-Pena, 39, of Reading, in the May 9 murder in the 200 block of River Road.
“So there was somewhat of a connection between the two, but to date, nothing has indicated that they had any disagreements between each other,” Adams said.
The district attorney described Mercardo-Gomez as an innocent victim of an unprovoked, violent attack.
Adams called the press conference with members of the Reading Police Department to praise the work of the department’s criminal investigation divisions in that arrest as well as the arrests of eight suspects in an unrelated case, the kidnapping of 23-year-old Michael Petrino Jr. of Lebanon County, who is presumed to have been killed even though his body hasn’t been found.
“This is just another example of the great work of our detectives from the city of Reading,” Adams said. “They really did a great job.”
Paniagua-Pena was charged with first- and third-degree murder, and two counts each of aggravated and simple assault, and possessing an instrument of crime.
He is being held without bail in Berks County Jail to await a hearing.
According to investigators:
Officers responded to the 200 block of River Road about 2:45 p.m. on May 9 for a report of a man lying in the street with what appeared to be stab wounds on his back.
Mercado-Gomez was taken to Reading Hospital where he later died.
An examination of Mercado-Gomez’s body by a doctor at the hospital found multiple, deep stab wounds to his head, face and back. Additional stab wounds were found on his left hand.
Police viewed surveillance camera footage from the area and saw Mercado-Gomez crossing the intersection of West Buttonwood Street and River Road. As he crossed, a person dressed all in black and wearing a balaclava-style mask was seen on a bicycle near the intersection.
As Mercado-Gomez continued to walk on River Road, the other man can be seen cycling quickly toward him. Both of them move out of view of cameras.
Police also spoke to a relative of Mercado-Gomez’s who lives in the Dominican Republic and was speaking to Mercado-Gomez as he was walking.
The relative described hearing yelling and a commotion, as well as Mercado-Gomez yelling, “I didn’t do anything to you. Oh my God.”
The battery-powered bicycle was found near the crime scene.
Police collected DNA evidence from the bicycle, and results returned last month could not exclude Paniagua-Pena as a suspect.
It was discovered that Paniagua-Pena worked at Sun Rich Foods, the same company that employed Mercado-Gomez. Another employee told police that the two worked at workstations only a few feet apart.
Time clock records showed Paniagua-Pena left work about 15 minutes before Mercado-Gomez. A witness who worked at Sun Rich Foods told police that Paniagua-Pena was known to ride a bicycle that matched the description of the one found at the crime scene.
Officials are awaiting results of a confirmatory DNA test to positively match the suspect’s DNA profile to that found on the bicycle, but they believe they have the right suspect.
Adams said the investigation is continuing.