An autopsy won’t be done in the killing of a 20-year-old Reading woman because the evidence gathered at the scene indicates her boyfriend shot her and her baby before taking his own life, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said Wednesday.
Reading police said they found Selena Zavala Hernandez dead in her residence along with her 31-year-old boyfriend, whose name hasn’t been released, after responding to the residence in the 1200 block of Locust Street for reports from neighbors of gunfire about 2:15 p.m. Monday.
Zavala Hernandez’s 2-month-old daughter, Selene Zavala Hernandez, was suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach, investigators said.
The baby underwent surgery at Reading Hospital before being transferred to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, Adams said. Information on her medical condition wasn’t immediately available.
Adams said Reading police are investigating. He didn’t know exactly what occurred before the shootings, but said it was domestic-related.
“Clearly, based on the crime scene investigation, we have determined the male was the shooter and the female was the homicide victim,” Adams said.
Capt. Cheryl Pentheny of the Reading police criminal investigations division, who released the victims’ names, said the investigation was continuing as detectives were trying to tie up loose ends.
There was a documented history of domestic violence between the couple, Adams said, but no incidents that resulted in criminal charges being filed.
The shooting of an infant girl makes the incident even more tragic, the district attorney said.
It’s the second domestic violence killing in a little more than two weeks in the city.
On Jan. 29, Daniela Allende was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in her home in the 1200 block of Amity Street.
Samuel Lopez-Ordones, 33, was held on the living room sofa by the victim’s father and brother after family members found her dead in the kitchen, investigators said
Authorities said Allende and Lopez-Ordones were in the process of breaking up after being together for several years. He had moved out of the home they shared with her family about a week before the killing.
Lopez-Ordones is being held in Berks County Prison awaiting a hearing on first- and third-degree murder and related charges.
Where to find help
Call 9-1-1 if you or someone you know are in immediate danger.
To seek the help of an advocate or to contact Safe Berks, call the 24-hour hotline, 844-789-SAFE (7233) or text SAFE BERKS to 20121.
Safe Berks provides free and confidential services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault 24 hours a day. All services are available in English and Spanish, and translation will be used for any other language needed.
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