READING, Pa. – Police in Reading say a teen is in custody and his brother is still at large after charges were filed in an April homicide case.
17-year-old Jonielle Cruz is charged as an adult with 1st and 3rd-degree murder, aggravated assault and related offenses for the April 1, 2024 murder of 19-year-old Christian Disla. Bail was denied and he is currently in custody at Berks County Jail.
“It’s usually determined by the district attorney’s office,” said Captain Cheryl Pentheny with the Reading Police Department. “With that they factor in many different things, including the severity of the crime, the age of the juvenile, along with if they have any prior criminal history.”
Jonielle CruzÂ
Disla’s body was found behind a residence in the 1300 block of Muhlenberg Street following an exchange of gunfire between individuals.
“The group that the deceased was with was going to the area to confront some other individuals over an issue, a stolen firearm or something along those lines,” explained Pentheny. “When they arrived on the block, individuals opened fire and started shooting at the car that they were in.”
Police say they don’t believe Disla was the intended target.
Luis Santos-CruzÂ
Police say 19-year-old Luis Santos-Cruz, brother of Jonielle, is also charged in Disla’s murder. He has not been apprehended and authorities consider him armed and dangerous.
Investigators say they are not sure if he is still in the area but the search for the accused murderer remains active.
“We are considering Luis armed and dangerous,” said Pentheny. “By this point, obviously, he knows that he’s wanted for homicide so please don’t try and confront him yourself.
Anyone with information on Luis Santos-Cruz’s whereabouts is asked to call Reading Police.