Kensington man convicted of murdering bystander during 2013 street brawl

LUIS SOTO, a former drug dealer on trial for the 2013 murder of a bystander on a Kensington street, displayed no visible emotion yesterday as he listened to each juror affirm that they believed him to be guilty.

It was as if Soto, 27, knew a guilty verdict was forthcoming.

At the end of its first day of deliberating, the Common Pleas Court jury determined Soto was not guilty of first-degree murder or conspiracy to commit murder, but was guilty of third-degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault and three handgun violations.

"I know that the jury had some issues because we couldn't prove what the motive was, but I'm very satisfied that it was a murder. He killed a young lady and injured three people very seriously," said Assistant District Attorney Carlos Vega.

At Soto's December sentencing hearing, Vega said he will ask Judge Glenn Bronson to slap the defendant with the maximum: 57-to-114 years in state prison.

Defense attorney Jack McMahon argued that Soto was wrongly arrested and that the shooter is still on the loose.

He questioned how the jury found Soto not guilty of conspiracy to commit murder when a key prosecution witness testified that he was one of two gunmen.

"That is very odd, but juries do what they do and I respect their verdict," said McMahon, who added that he will appeal.

Soto testified last week that he did not own a gun and did not shoot anyone on April 9, 2013.

Soto said he watched from across the street as a crowd gathered in a lot at Somerset and Lee streets, where a fight erupted and multiple gunshots rang out shortly before 6 p.m.

He ran for cover and did not see who did the shooting, said Soto, who insisted that he did not get involved because he had spent two and a half years in prison for drug dealing and had been released on parole just three months earlier.

Two witnesses, however, told the jury that they saw Soto firing a handgun into the crowd. Soto's credibility was further diminished when he testified that several hours after the shootings he went to Episcopal Hospital to be with his mother and visit his injured brother, who was one of four people shot during the incident.

His brother was treated at Temple University Hospital, and his mother spent the night at police headquarters talking to homicide detectives, according to trial testimony.

Amanda Martinez, who was days from celebrating her 21st birthday, was killed by the gunfire. She is believed to have been an unintended victim.

Also shot and injured were Soto's half-brother, Jose Torres, now 24, Carl Walden, 38, and Larry Robinson, 20.