Philadelphia man wanted for two 2022 homicides deported before arrest: police

Philly double homicide suspect deported to Dominican Republic before arrest

Philadelphia police have identified Jiwandy Gonzales as the suspect in two 2022 homicides and three non-fatal shootings, but he was deported to the Dominican Republic before his arrest.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police say they have identified a man wanted for two homicides and three non-fatal shootings, but when they tried to arrest him earlier this month, they learned he had already been deported.

Police identify suspect after years-long investigation

What we know:

Police say Jiwandy Gonzales is wanted for two homicides and three non-fatal shootings, including the deaths of 16-year-old Andrea De Los Santos and 22-year-old Pamela Mejero-Medina.

Investigators say it happened on May 30, 2022, during a "boom party" gathering on the 2900 block of East Tioga Street, when two people showed up and started shooting.

According to police, another bystander, a 14-year-old girl, and a 21-year-old man were also injured. Investigators said the 21-year-old man was the intended target and had also been shot about a month earlier on the 400 block of East Wyoming Avenue.

Police said they had no cooperation from the intended target in the earlier shooting, which made it difficult to bring charges at the time. 

"Keep in mind the victim that was shot in this case knew who the shooter was and refused to cooperate," says Inspector Ernest Ransom, Commanding Officer of the Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Unit.

Police said the Special Investigation Unit, which was established in July 2025 after a mass shooting on Etting Street, re-examined the case. 

With the approval of the District Attorney's Office, police obtained an arrest warrant for Gonzales on Feb. 3.  

When officers went to arrest him, they learned he had been deported to the Dominican Republic in January 2025.

Family members react to news and hope for justice

The backstory:

Andrea De Los Santos was 16 and wanted to become an immigration lawyer, according to her mother Carmen and stepfather, John Amorim. 

Amorim translated for Carmen as she spoke about her daughter in Spanish, saying, "She still hasn’t really come to grips with what happened and the great loss."

Amorim said, "Just showing up somewhere and shooting like it’s the wild west and knowing that that person is not paying for that, that’s what makes it even more difficult to deal with." He added, "She said she has faith in God that eventually he’ll be brought to justice, and he’ll pay for the horrific crime that he committed."

Police said the investigation was delayed in part due to the high number of homicides in 2022. 

"There were almost 500 homicides, so there was a lot going on that year, and previous years as well, so can things get missed? Yes. am I saying that things got missed on this one? No, I’m not saying that. I’m just saying right now our Special Investigation Group had the opportunity to look deep into this case and get that little piece that was necessary to bring it in," said Ransom.

Police are now working with the FBI to try to bring Gonzales back to the United States to face charges, but said the process can take months.

Police are asking anyone with information about Gonzales to call 215-686-TIPS.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear if or when Gonzales will be returned to the United States to face charges. 

Police have not said exactly how long the extradition process might take or what additional steps may be needed.