Pa. man gets 2 life sentences for driving into crowd at fundraiser, then beating mom to death at home

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. (TCD) -- A judge sentenced a 25-year-old man to two life sentences in prison for driving his car into a group of people attending a fundraiser for victims who died in a fire, then going home and beating his mother to death.

According to a statement, in addition to the two life terms, Adrian Oswaldo Sura Reyes was sentenced to an additional 123 1/2 to 380 years for the "brutal crimes he committed" last summer.

On Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, at 6:15 p.m., Pennsylvania State Troopers were asked to help the Berwick Police Department with an incident where a vehicle drove through a crowd at an event on West 2nd Street. One person reportedly died at the scene and several others were injured. Minutes later, Pennsylvania State Police got a call about a man assaulting a female in Nescopeck Borough.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, Sura Reyes' mother, Rosa Reyes, was outside her home as he approached in his car. Sura Reyes "intentionally struck his mother with the vehicle," then "struck her in the head multiple times with a blunt object." The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports he used a hammer to kill her.

Troopers arrested Sura Reyes at the scene without incident.

Court records show Sura Reyes was indicted on 40 charges, including two counts of criminal homicide, 19 counts of attempted criminal homicide, and 19 counts of aggravated assault. He pleaded guilty to the first two charges, and prosecutors dropped the aggravated assault charge.

According to The Associated Press, the people gathered at the fundraiser were there to honor 10 people who were killed in a fire Aug. 5, 2022. The victims — seven adults and three children — were reportedly all relatives of a volunteer firefighter who helped extinguish the blaze.

MORE:

• Homicide Investigation — Sentencing Joint Agency Statement - Pennsylvania State Police
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Adrian Oswaldo Sura Reyes
• Updated News Release, 8/15/2023 - Pennsylvania State Police
• Man allegedly drives car into crowd gathered for victims of massive fire and then beats mom to death, 8/15/2022 - TCD
• Nescopeck man pleads guilty to killing mother, driving vehicle into crowd, 5/31/2023 - Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
• Blaze kills firefighter's 10 relatives, 3 of them children, 8/5/2022 - The Associated Press