Berks County man charged with firing gun, pistol-whipping man during armed burglary, kidnapping couple

 The NLCRPD criminal investigation division has filed charges against a second man accused of taking part in an armed burglary in a Warwick Township residence in which a man was pistol-whipped and two teenagers were held at gunpoint has been arrested.

Luis Angel Lopez, Jr., of Spring Township, Berks County, was arrested Friday and charged with three counts of robbery, two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, one count of burglary, one count of conspiracy to commit burglary, one count of criminal trespass, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal trespass, two counts of kidnapping, one count of possessing a prohibited firearm, two counts of aggravated assault, four counts of false imprisonment of a minor, three counts of false imprisonment, four counts of unlawful restraint of a minor, three counts of unlawful restraint and a single count of making terroristic threats.

U.S. Marshals took Lopez into custody Friday in Northampton County after police obtained an arrest warrant.

Lopez, 37, and his 18-year-old co-defendant Hector Luis Martinez, Jr., are accused of holding the victims at gunpoint during a failed robbery in a residence in the first block of Hurst Boulevard the evening of June 28. 

The victim encountered Lopez, whose face was partially concealed by a mask and was carrying a handgun, inside the home sometime before 7 p.m. while Martinez held two 14-year-old boys at gunpoint with an assault rifle. Lopez, who was unknown to the victim, began demanding to know the location of the victim’s safe and cash. 

At one point during the interaction the victim said Lopez pistol-whipped him when he ripped down Lopez’s mask to reveal his face. 

Both Lopez and Martinez fled the home as police arrived having removed some items of value from the residence. Some of the items were thrown on the residence's front yard as Lopez fled.

Multiple eyewitnesses told law enforcement Lopez fired a handgun in the air twice as he was being chased by police, with one saying he fired directly at them. Officers later found a shell casing in the area where Lopez is accused of firing the weapon. 

Multiple concerned residents assisted police by giving chase to Lopez and Martinez when the shots were fired.

Neighbors helped police apprehend Martinez, who was found in a vehicle wrecked on an embankment near Meadow Valley Road, but Lopez eluded custody by allegedly entering a closing residential garage door in the first block of Brian Drive and holding a man and woman hostage at gunpoint. Lopez then forced the couple to drive him to a Berks County address within walking distance of his residence, threatening to kill the male victim if the female driver did not follow his instructions. 

Before leaving the victims’ vehicle Lopez is alleged to have stolen a driver’s license, an unknown quantity of cash and a prescription bottle from the woman’s purse. 

Investigators were able to identify Lopez from a photo posted to social media. Police also found more than a dozen phone calls between Martinez and Lopez on Martinez’s cellphone in the hours before the burglary. 

Lopez is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions.

Lopez remains in Northampton County Prison where he is awaiting arraignment and is also being held on a Berks County parole detainer.

Martinez has separately been charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, criminal trespass, conspiracy to commit criminal trespass and recklessly endangering another person.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is urged to contact Det. Theresa Stauffer with the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department at 717-733-0965 or submit a tip through Lancaster County Crime Stoppers.

Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Det. Theresa Stauffer filed the charges.

First Deputy Assistant District Attorney Cody Wade will prosecute the case. 

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.