Police: alleged shooter called, turned self in

Victim flown to Danville with ‘life-threatening injuries’

LEWISTOWN -- One man has been arrested and charged with shooting another man several times during a fight Wednesday night in Lewistown Borough.

Lewistown Police Department said during a fight, 21-year-old Victor M. Guzman-Ortega, of Lewistown, withdrew his 9mm handgun from his waistband and fired 10 shots, striking 20-year-old Trevor T. Taylor, also of Lewistown, several times.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by police, Guzman-Ortega told investigators he and a friend had been "jumped from behind" by Taylor and one of Taylor's friends while walking along Valley Street just after 8 p.m. Wednesday and that Guzman-Ortega's friend had prior issues with Taylor and his friend.

After initially exchanging words after their first encounter that evening, Guzman-Ortega said the two pairs went their separate ways. Guzman-Ortega said he and his friend attempted to walk to Guzman-Ortega's home in a manner that would prevent Taylor and his friend from believing Guzman-Ortega and his friend were following them, but the four men wound up meeting again anyway in the area of the intersection of Valley and Spruce streets, according to the affidavit.

That was when Guzman-Ortega said he was "jumped from behind" and someone began punching him in the head, knocking him to the ground, at which point he realized it was Taylor who was punching him, police said. Guzman-Ortega told the 911 dispatcher that he could not get back up and told police it was at that point he pulled out his gun and fired 10 shots before running to his home on Logan Street and calling 911, according to the affidavit. Police said Guzman-Ortega held a valid concealed carry permit.

After obtaining a search warrant, police said they found the 9mm handgun in the kitchen sink of Guzman-Ortega's home, where he had told police it was located. Police said there was an empty magazine in the gun, which also had blood on the slide and handgrips.

According to the affidavit, Taylor had suffered four gunshot wounds, including one to his lower back and spine, and had also been shot in the left thigh and left ankle. He was initially transported to Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital before being flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville for treatment of "life-threatening injuries," police said. Taylor remains hospitalized in Danville.

Police took Guzman-Ortega to the Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital emergency room, where a physician determined he had suffered a broken nose, according to the affidavit. Police said they noted several facial injuries they deemed consistent with having been in a fight. EMTs who initially examined Guzman-Ortega had been fearful he had suffered facial fractures, according to the affidavit.

Guzman-Ortega faces two different felony charges of aggravated assault -- one first-degree and one second-degree -- two misdemeanor charges of simple assault and one misdemeanor charge of recklessly endangering another person.

Guzman-Ortega is currently incarcerated at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility, unable to post the $100,000 bail set. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. March 24 at Magisterial District Judge Jack E. Miller's office in Lewistown. He is represented by public defender Jeffrey Davis, according to online court documents.