‘Angry and wanted revenge’

Prosecutor: Norristown man waged ‘vigilante justice’ during fatal shooting

NORRISTOWN » A Norristown man was “angry and wanted revenge” and waged “vigilante justice” when he fatally shot another man who moments earlier robbed his home, a prosecutor argued to a jury.

“The defendant was angry and wanted revenge. The defendant took matters in his own hands and inflicted vigilante justice. The defendant’s actions are not justifiable. They are not lawful,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Laura Bradbury argued to a jury on Wednesday as the trial for Santiago Villifan-Andrade got under way in connection with the 3 a.m. July 9, 2017, fatal shooting of Christen Greene, 26, at DeKalb and Lafayette streets.

Greene, testimony revealed, moments earlier robbed Villifan-Andrade at gunpoint inside Villifan-Andrade’s apartment.

As Greene fled from the residence, Villifan-Andrade didn’t call police but chased Greene, tripped him, seized Greene’s

9 mm handgun and then shot at Greene three times, striking him twice, as Greene continued to run away, Bradbury alleged. As Greene lay wounded on Lafayette Street, Villifan-Andrade then used the gun to beat Greene in the head, Bradbury argued to the jury of six men and six women.

“The robbery does not warrant his death. The laws do not give someone the right to chase someone down and shoot them just because they wronged him,” Bradbury argued. “Christen was running away from the defendant when he started shooting.”

But defense lawyer John I. McMahon Jr. implied Villifan-Andrade’s conduct was justified and that Villifan-Andrade shot at Greene to “stop him” but not to kill him.

“He didn’t intend to kill the man. He did not have any specific intent to kill the man,” said McMahon, who argued Villifan-Andrade shot at Greene because he believed Greene was running back toward VillifanAndrade’s home that was still occupied by VillifanAndrade’s wife. “He was acting to protect his wife, in defense of others.”

Villifan-Andrade faces charges of voluntary manslaughter and person not to possess a firearm in connection with the shooting.

The legal issues of justification and the use of deadly force will be at the forefront of the trial that is expected to last about three days. Judge Steven C. Tolliver is presiding over the trial.

Under state law, a person commits voluntary manslaughter if they intentionally cause the death of another person with the unreasonable belief that the killing was justified. A conviction of the charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.

With the weapons charge, prosecutors alleged Villifan-Andrade was not lawfully permitted to possess a gun because he was residing in the U.S. illegally. When Villifan-Andrade seized Greene’s gun and fired it, he violated the law, Bradbury alleged.

But McMahon argued Villifan-Andrade seized Greene’s gun “out of necessity” to avoid greater harm.

“He was full of fear, full of terror,” McMahon argued, adding Greene was much larger than the 5-foot 4-inch tall and 140 pound Villifan-Andrade.

McMahon said VillifanAndrade was living in the U.S. about six years, was married to a U.S. citizen, was working to update his immigration status and was gainfully employed as a painter. McMahon and co-defense lawyer Edward J. Rideout III didn’t reveal if Villifan-Andrade will testify but said character witnesses will testify that Villifan-Andrade has a reputation for being a nonviolent person.

An investigation began when Norristown police responded to DeKalb and Lafayette streets for a reported shooting and found Greene, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, lying in the roadway on Lafayette Street.

“The man was bleeding from multiple areas. He was covered in blood, he was lying in a large pool of blood,” Norristown Police Cpl. Brian Kozera testified as jurors viewed photos of the bloody crime scene that were projected on a large screen in the courtroom.

Greene informed arriving officers that Villifan-Andrade was the person who shot him, according to the arrest affidavit.

Norristown Police Sgt. Daniel DeOrzio testified Villifan-Andrade was at the scene and immediately placed a handgun on the ground as police arrived.

“Mr. Andrade stood up. He put his hands up. In his right hand he held what turned out to be a handgun. He put the gun on the ground,” DeOrzio testified, adding Villifan-Andrade cooperated and complied with all police commands.

Norristown Police Officer Michael Paul Choiniere testified he observed Andrade was covered in blood at the

scene.

“He said, ‘I shot him. I did that,’” Choiniere recalled Andrade uttering to police at the scene.

Greene was transported to Mercy Suburban Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:01 a.m., according to the criminal complaint filed by Montgomery County Detective John Wittenberger and Norristown Detective Charles Leeds.

County Chief Deputy Coroner Gregory McDonald testified an autopsy determined Greene died of multiple gunshot wounds with blunt force trauma to the head. A bullet wound in Greene’s left rear buttock indicated that his back was to the shooter when he was struck, prosecutors alleged.

Testimony revealed the bullet that entered the buttock traveled to an artery, “one of the largest blood vessels in the body,” and caused severe blood loss.

Villifan-Andrade told detectives he arrived at his apartment in the 200 block of DeKalb Street and was confronted inside by an intruder, Greene, who pointed a gun at his head and chest and demanded money, according to the criminal complaint. Villifan-Andrade told detectives that Greene removed cash from his wallet and then fled from the apartment.

Villifan-Andrade said he gave chase, caught up to Greene and tripped him, causing him to fall into the street and drop his handgun, according to the arrest affidavit. Villifan-Andrade allegedly told detectives he picked up Greene’s gun and fired at Greene as he was running away on Lafayette Street back toward DeKalb Street.

Villifan-Andrade also admitted to detectives that he had entered the U.S. illegally through Texas in 2012, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators recovered three fired 9 mm cartridge cases, one fired bullet and one unfired round from the scene. It was determined that the shooting occurred approximately 185 feet from the entrance to VillifanAndrade’s apartment, according to the criminal complaint.