WEST CHESTER >> Two brothers accused in the 2015 shooting death of a Coatesville man were sentenced to state prison terms after entering guilty pleas to the crime Thursday.
Steven Adams, 19, will serve a term of 15 to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of third-degree murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and aggravated assault. His brother, 18-year-old Tyler Adams, who was also charged with the same crimes, was sentenced to 23 to 46 years behind bars, because of what the prosecutor in the case described as his greater involvement in the shooting death.
According to Deputy District Attorney Carlos Barraza, the brothers and three friends had targeted a group of men for a robbery outside a house on the north side of the city, but one of the quintet unexpectedly fired a shot at one of the men during a scuffle, hitting him in the chest and killing him. He then shot another man in the leg.
Common Pleas Judge Patrick Carmody, who accepted the proposed plea agreements negotiated by Barraza and defense attorneys Albert Sardella of Coatesville, representing Steven Adams, and Assistant Public Defenders Susanna DeWese and Kristine Mehok, representing Tyler Adams, went carefully through the steps of whether they understood what they were doing in pleading guilty, but also what they were actually admitting.
“This is, crudely, a robbery that went bad and someone died as a result,” the judge said. “You guys knew there was going to be a robbery, but you didn’t think someone would get killed, is that right?” Both men said yes.
The Adams brothers each have agreed to testify against the remaining two defendants in the case if they go to trial. Last year, 21-year-old Gaylynn Chris Mansfield pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced to 13 to 26 years in state prison.
According to the description of the events surrounding the Oct. 4, 2015, shooting put on the record by Barraza, Adams and his accomplices tried to rob a group of four men who were outside a home on North Fourth Avenue. Barraza said Steven Adams, Mansfield, and another friend, Demetrius Joseph, 22, were standing on North Fifth Avenue between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. near the Coatesville Public Library where they were approached by Tyler Adams, and a man named Dajon Rowe. The Adamses and Rowe, now 18, were all juveniles at the time.
The five all began walking north on Fourth Avenue when Joseph suggested that they “do a lick,” meaning rob someone. As they walked north of Fleetwood Avenue, they saw a group of men sitting on a porch outside a house in the 100 block. They walked to the end of the block, and agreed among themselves to turn around and rob the men.
Tyler Adams then gave a handgun and mask he had on him to Rowe, who put on the mask so that he would not be recognized by the men, some of whom knew him, he told the others. When they reached the porch, Mansfield punched one of the men while Rowe drew the handgun and pointed it at another, Juan Antonio Jiminez Ramos. Rowe then fired a shot that struck Ramos in the chest, Barraza said. He then turned the weapon on another of the men and shot him in the leg.
After the shots were fired, the five all ran from the scene. They were arrested days later.
Jimenez Ramos died at Brandywine Hospital around 2:45 a.m. that morning, Barraza said.