April 1, 2011

Maryland man charged with attempted murder for Thanksgiving Eve shooting in Pottstown

POTTSTOWN - A man who allegedly attempted to kill another man at a party in the borough in November 2010, embracing the victim in a hug before pulling out a handgun and shooting him, is now in police custody. Oscar Armando Gonzalez, 38, of Baltimore, Md., was apprehended by Pottstown police outside of Bethlehem Thursday and arraigned Thursday night. Gonzalez is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and related offenses. He is incarcerated in Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $150,000 cash bail.

According to court papers, Gonzalez was at a party in the 500 block of Walnut Street Nov. 24, 2010, when he allegedly shot the victim, Mauricio Escobar, one time in the side. When police arrived at the residence around 11:30 p.m., they discovered Escobar "covered in blood," and Gonzalez had fled the scene. Police said they received information indicating Gonzalez was working for a tree cutting business outside of Bethlehem Thursday afternoon, and they took him into custody from his job without incident. See Saturday's edition of The Mercury for the full story.

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