Jan. 23—A York man who tracked his domestic partner to a busy Wyomissing shopping center and shot an Allentown man to death after she got into his vehicle has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and has been sentenced to state prison.

Nehemias Santiago Montes, 40, pleaded guilty Jan. 16 in Berks County Court and was sentenced by Judge Madelyn S. Fudeman to 18 to 40 years in prison, the sentence that he and prosecutors had reached in a plea agreement.

Santiago Montes had stalked his domestic partner by hiding his Apple Watch inside her vehicle and tracking her to Wyomissing, which is more than 50 miles from his home, police said.

He had been in custody since he was arrested immediately after the shooting on March 19, 2022.

The shooting occurred just before 4 p.m. in Berkshire Square off State Hill Road and resulted in the death of Alexi Rodriguez Serra, 34, of Allentown.

Also critically injured was Jessica Cruz-Rodriguez, 32, of York. She lived with Santiago Montes, and they had children together, officials said.

She was injured when the SUV that Rodriguez Serra tried to drive from the attack crashed after he was shot, police said.

According to Wyomissing police:

A Spring Township police officer was across the street from the shopping center when the gunfire erupted.

Heading into the complex, the officer noticed a Toyota Highlander stopped behind a BARTA bus in the main access drive. The bus driver pointed to the vehicle and told the officer that the Toyota’s driver was involved in the shooting.

As the officer studied the vehicle, a shirtless man, later identified as Santiago Montes, got out of the driver’s seat and approached his patrol vehicle. The officer got out and asked the man how he was involved.

“I did it,” Santiago Montes said.

As the officer handcuffed him, the officer asked where the gun was. Santiago Montes said it was in his vehicle.

Wyomissing police, meanwhile, had responded to multiple calls reporting 10 to 20 shots fired outside at the shopping center.

Officers arrived within two minutes of being dispatched and found a Dodge Durango crashed into a tree on a traffic island along the main drive.

Inside the Durango, they found Rodriguez Serra dead in the driver’s seat. He had suffered gunshot wounds.

Officers also found Cruz-Rodriguez lying in the parking lot, suffering from a head wound from the crash.

She was being aided by people at the scene and was taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital, where she underwent surgery to control severe bleeding from the brain.

She was admitted to the hospital in critical condition.

Wyomissing police transported Santiago Montes to their station to be interviewed.

He said he waited for about an hour until a Durango pulled up next to his wife’s car. He became enraged when he saw her in another man’s vehicle. He drove through the parking lot, stopped near the Durango and got out.

He started shooting at the driver’s side door window with his handgun, which had an extended magazine loaded with 30 rounds.

Rodriguez Serra pressed the gas pedal to the floor as he backed the Durango out of the parking space and struck a parked vehicle in another row. Santiago Montes then fired multiple shots through the windshield.

Santiago Montes said he watched as the Durango sped off and crashed into a landscape island and tree. He noticed Cruz-Rodriguez on the ground, not near the Durango but near where the shooting occurred. It was unclear how she got out of the vehicle.

Santiago Montes said he ran to her, removed his shirt and used it to try to control the bleeding from her head wound before returning to his vehicle.

Cruz-Rodriguez has since recovered from her injuries, prosecutors said.

Where to find help

Call 911 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.