{"id":143655,"date":"2026-03-20T11:17:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T11:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/143655\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T11:17:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T11:17:08","slug":"2-found-not-guilty-in-killing-of-man-outside-allentown-supermarket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/143655\/","title":{"rendered":"2 found not guilty in killing of man outside Allentown supermarket"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two men charged in the shooting death of a man outside an Allentown supermarket nearly three years ago were found not guilty last week in Lehigh County Court.<\/a><\/p>\n

Following a five-day trial, Adalberto Morales Ortiz, 48, of Bethlehem and his nephew, Axel Gadiel Fontanez-Morales, 24, of Whitehall Township, both were acquitted March 13 of homicide in the May 14, 2023, killing of Jose Tirado-Ramirez. Attorneys for the men contended that they acted in self-defense during the shooting that happened outside the C-Town Market on Tilghman Street.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe jury looked at this case and saw that Adalberto and his nephew were the people who were the true victims in this case,\u201d Morales-Ortiz\u2019s attorney, Stephen Patrizio, said Thursday. \u201cJustice was done by this jury.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jose Tirado-Ramirez\u2019s sister, Nashaly Tirado, told The Morning Call she was devastated at the outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am 100% sure that justice wasn\u2019t done the right way,\u201d she said. \u201cHopefully Axel and his uncle will realize what they have done and that they will have to live with that guilt for the rest of their life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allentown detectives alleged Tirado-Ramirez, 27, drove to the parking lot that night and spoke to a group of people there, including Fontanez-Morales. As he was leaving the group, Morales-Ortiz approached him and pointed a gun at him, police said. Tirado-Ramirez tried to take the gun, and Morales-Ortiz fired several times at him, charging documents alleged. Police said Fontanez-Morales also shot at Tirado-Ramirez.<\/p>\n

Attorneys for both men wrote in court filings that Tirado-Ramirez\u2019s death was caused by a chaotic shootout between about a half dozen people, and that neither of the men fired first. Additionally, they said Tirado-Ramirez was among the aggressors in the case, claiming he was accompanied by a group wearing masks and threatening a member of the defendants\u2019 family.<\/p>\n

Fontanzez-Morales\u2019 attorney Paul Bender said Fontanez-Morales was at a garage nearby, and he was walking with his cousin when they encountered a group of people who had a problem with his cousin. That turned into a scuffle, which led to a group of masked people coming and escalating the situation, Bender said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody needed to die that night,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Their attorneys said at least seven guns were involved in the shootout, and that Tirado-Ramirez fired a gun during the incident. Officers testified during a preliminary hearing that others on scene did not cooperate with the investigation and did not speak with authorities willingly.<\/p>\n

Patrizio said Morales Ortiz went to the scene to check up on his son and did not know anything about what was going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ended up having to protect and defend his family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said jurors saw the case \u201cfor what it really was,\u201d and that the real perpetrators were armed and masked. They came organized to kill, Patrizio said.<\/p>\n

The two men were arrested shortly after the shooting and remained jailed without bail until September 2024, when a judge reduced bail at their attorneys\u2019 request<\/a>. Fontanez-Morales had been under house arrest since then.<\/p>\n

Bender said the arrest was a \u201cmiscarriage of justice,\u201d and that the men were charged \u201chastily.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[Fontanez-Morales] is thrilled to have this whole incident in his rear-view,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Patrizio said Morales Ortiz is a good family man who is relieved he can return to the community with his reputation intact.<\/p>\n

Tirado believed her brother was trying to help, and was caught in the crossfire. She\u00a0said he was a \u201cgreat, loving person\u201d who died because of a heated argument that he did not have control over.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter what, my brother Miguelito will still be loved and remember as the loving, caring person he was,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Reporter Lindsay Weber contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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