Jun. 10—WILKES-BARRE — Assigned a month ago to prosecute two 18-year-old men for their role in a Hazle Township fatal shooting, Luzerne County assistant district attorneys James L. McMonagle and Brian A. Coleman were granted an extension of time to learn about the Pennsylvania State Police investigation.

Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas gave the two experienced and seasoned trial prosecutors one month to get up to speed, continuing the trial for Reymer Gonzales and Ismael A. Valdez-Batista from Aug. 5 to Sept. 9.

McMonagle and Coleman replaced Jarrett Ferentino who retired as a part-time assistant district attorney in April. Ferentino was the lead prosecutor on the case since the shooting outside Performance Auto Repair on West 23rd Street on April 14, 2023.

State police at Bloomsburg and Hazleton in court records say Rolando K. Cepeda, 18, was sitting on a stool outside the auto repair garage when he was approached by two men wearing ski masks.

Cepeda was shot multiple times and died two days later, April 15, 2023, at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest.

A second shooting victim, Carlos D. Jorge, survived.

During a pre-trial hearing Monday, McMonagle said that he and Coleman were assigned about a month ago to prosecute Gonzales and Valdez-Batista and need time to review the investigation and evidence.

Lupas granted a request to continue the trial for one-month and scheduled a pre-trial hearing to settle outstanding issues on July 23.

Gonzales, of Hazleton, is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy to commit criminal homicide and criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. He is represented by Attorney William L. Stephens Jr.

Valdez-Batista, of Mahanoy City, is charged with criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide and criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. He is represented by Attorney Frank McCabe III.