Two women have pleaded guilty and a third person is awaiting trial after one of the women’s husbands was shot and killed outside of a store last year.
An investigation started back on Dec. 7, 2024, when officers found Hector Garcia Gomez, 46, with several gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Loco Hot Deals located at 1155 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township just after 6 p.m., officials explained.
Garcia Gomez had been shot multiple times in his stomach, police reported. He later died from the injuries and his death was ruled as a homicide.
According to investigators, the entire incident was caught on nearby surveillance cameras.
In the video, Garcia Gomez can be seen driving into the Loco Hot Deals parking lot and going into the store while his wife, Brenda Rodriguez, stays in the car, police said.
Rodriguez appeared to be on her phone while he was inside the store, officials explained.
Investigators would later discover that Rodriguez was sharing the information of her husband’s whereabouts to Liz Marie Pacheco.
Pacheco then took that information and gave it to Christian Martinez-Ramos who showed up in the parking lot minutes later.
As Garcia Gomez walked out of the store and got back into his car, Martinez-Ramos was seen on camera driving through the parking lot and parking behind Garcia Gomez’s car, officials said.
Gunshots were fired from Martinez-Ramos’ car toward Garcia Gomez who was hit multiple times by the gunfire, investigators revealed.
After her husband was shot, Rodriguez allegedly lingered inside the car for over 22 seconds, police said.
When she got out of the vehicle, she was seen on camera adjusting her clothes and hair before she picked up items and then went into the store, investigators shared.
On Sept. 22, 2025, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy of aggravated assault. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5 and could face a maximum of 20 years in prison.
On Wednesday, Oct. 1, Pacheco pleaded guilty to murder in the third degree. She was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison.
Martinez-Ramos is awaiting his trial in this case.
Emily Rose Grassi
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