Berks County recorded 15 homicides in 2025, with 12 of those occurring in the City of Reading, according to a summary released Tuesday by District Attorney John T. Adams.
Of the 15 homicides, two remain unsolved as of Jan. 6, 2026. Those cases involve the April 5, 2025, shooting death of Christopher Green in the 600 block of North 2nd Street in Reading, and the shooting death of Melvin Frazier in the area of the 1200 block of Lorraine Road and Oak Lane, also in Reading.
One homicide from 2025 was ruled justified. That incident occurred June 6 in the 400 block of North 10th Street in Reading and involved a juvenile.
Two of last year’s deaths were classified as murder-suicides. The first occurred Feb. 17, 2025, at 1226 Locust St. in Reading. The second took place April 8, 2025, in the 1400 block of Mount Laurel Road in Muhlenberg Township.
Eight of the 15 homicides were characterized as domestic violence-related incidents. One of those cases involved a single defendant, Jose Luis Rodriguez, who has been charged in the killings of three individuals: Junior Cabrera-Colon, Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo and Jeyden Junior Peguero.
The district attorney also highlighted progress in older cases. In 2025, two arrests were made in homicides from prior years. On Sept. 10, 2025, Carlos Luis Ramirez was arrested in connection with the Sept. 13, 2021, homicide of Cristian Orozco. On Oct. 7, 2025, Sandra Guadalupe-Castro was arrested for the 1993 homicide of Eddie Burgos-Oquendo.
Looking at trends over recent years, Berks County recorded 19 homicides in 2021, including two ruled justified; 23 homicides in 2022; 20 homicides in 2023, including one justified officer-involved shooting; and 12 homicides in 2024. In each of those years, the majority of cases occurred in Reading.
Adams said the continued decline in homicides reflects ongoing enforcement and prevention efforts, including the City of Reading Neighborhood Gun Violence Detail, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Reduction Task Force, and the Berks County Probation and Parole Firearms Suppression Unit. Two of those units are funded through grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Adams also pointed to collaborative initiatives such as “Nightlight,” a long-running county-funded effort that includes county detectives, parole agents, deputy sheriffs, and city and county police conducting unannounced offender visits and compliance checks. The initiative has resulted in the seizure of weapons and drugs, according to the release.
In terms of prosecutions, the district attorney’s office closed 12 homicide cases in 2025. The office reported that 100% of homicide cases handled during the year resulted in guilty pleas to homicide charges or guilty verdicts by a judge or jury.
Adams said his office will continue working with law enforcement partners across the county to address gun violence and pursue justice for victims.
