COLUMBIA, Pa. — New court filings have revealed additional details in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Wilfredo Garcia at the Wagon Works Apartments, leading to charges against two more individuals as investigators continue to piece together what happened inside the Plane Street apartment on July 18.
Garcia was killed after being struck by a gunshot to the head inside his family’s apartment at the Wagon Works complex. Columbia Borough Police and Lancaster County Detectives allege that Jose Manuel Lopez III, 16, of Columbia, was holding the handgun when it discharged. Lopez has been charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a minor, and multiple counts of recklessly endangering another person. Investigators say Lopez later admitted he was holding the loaded weapon and pointed it at Garcia before it fired.
As the investigation expanded, authorities uncovered information that led to charges against two additional individuals connected to the incident. According to court documents, Xxavior G. Michener, 19, of Columbia, told detectives he owned the Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun involved in the shooting. Michener, who reportedly lives at the Wagon Works Apartments, has been charged with carrying a firearm without a license. Investigators allege Michener removed the handgun from his waistband and placed it on a bed inside the apartment prior to the shooting.
A third individual, Bryant Alexis Ramos, 18, of West Hempfield Township, has been charged with offenses including tampering with evidence, hindering apprehension or prosecution, conspiracy, and firearm-related violations. Court documents allege that following the shooting, Ramos and another individual removed firearms, gun parts, and related items from the residence in an attempt to dispose of potential evidence. Authorities later recovered the weapons during the investigation.
Initial reports from WGAL and FOX43 focused on Lopez’s arrest and the circumstances surrounding Garcia’s death. Those reports noted that several people were inside the room when the gun discharged and that detectives recovered multiple firearms while conducting interviews over the following week.
The shooting marked Columbia Borough’s second homicide within a two-week span. Earlier in July, a separate investigation led to homicide charges against a 17-year-old in the fatal stabbing of 26-year-old Anthony Stoy-Velazquez. Columbia Police Chief Holly Arndt recently described July as an especially difficult month for the community, with two separate homicide investigations involving young people.
The investigation into Garcia’s death remains active, and officials have not ruled out the possibility of additional developments as the case moves through the court system. Preliminary proceedings for the defendants are expected in the coming weeks.
Anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
