Abelle Ruiz was fourteen years old when an argument between his girlfriend and two sisters would leave one of the teenagers dead. According to court documents Abelle Ruiz’s girlfriend was involved in an argument with two sisters. When Abelle Ruiz walked away from the situation he would open fire striking both sisters killing Aanya Ruiz, 16, and injuring her older sister. Abelle Ruiz would be arrested and later convicted of the murder. This teen killer would be sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison
Abelle Ruiz More News
A Reading teen who fatally shot a teenage girl and wounded her sister in the city has been sentenced to 25 to 50 years in a state prison.
Abelle Ruiz, now 16, of the 400 block of McClellan Street, pleaded guilty Thursday to the third-degree murder of Aanya Ruiz, 16, and the attempted murder of her sister Aashyia Cook, 17, on Feb. 5, 2021.
The shooting occurred just days before he turned 15.
Abelle Ruiz was sentenced Thursday by Berks County President Judge Thomas G. Parisi.
District Attorney John T. Adams has said it’s the first time in his 15 years in office that the county has charged someone as young as 14 with homicide.
The shooting occurred in Oakbrook Homes after an argument between the victims and the defendant’s girlfriend, police said. Abelle Ruiz fired into the air, then shot at the sisters as they were running away, investigators said.
Aanya was shot in the back, and Aashyiah was shot in a leg, they said.
The Ruizes were not related.
According to investigators:
Abelle Ruiz left his home with his girlfriend and they encountered the sisters in the 1000 block of Scott Street near McClellan about 10:45 p.m.
A physical altercation ensued between his girlfriend and two sisters. The girlfriend she had ongoing issues with the 16-year-old sister over an unrelated homicide investigation.
The dispute intensified into a physical fight when she encountered them again on McClellan Street.
After the fight, she and Abelle walked away and went through a gate that leads to the rear yards of homes in the 400 block of McClellan.
Abelle told investigators that he overheard the sisters discussing with someone on a cellphone plans to have other individuals shoot him and his girlfriend.
He said that once in the yard he pulled out a 9 mm pistol and fired shots toward the sisters.
Aanya Ruiz was unconscious when police and medics arrived. Her sister was struck in the left leg.
Both were transported by ambulance to Reading Hospital, where the 16-year-old was pronounced dead a short time later.
Abelle Ruiz was arrested the next day and has been in custody since.