Brian Ramirez-Ortiz, 39, was found dead in a Reading, Pennsylvania, residence on South Ninth Street after an incident first reported on December 29, 2025. An autopsy confirmed a single gunshot wound to the head. Initial information came from Ismael Echevarria-Vazquez, 51, who told an officer near City Hall that he had shot an intruder; police later found Ramirez-Ortiz’s body amid broken glass at Echevarria-Vazquez’s home.

Investigators say physical evidence began to undermine the self-defense claim. Two 9mm casings and a butane torch that looked like a firearm were recovered, and surveillance footage showed Ramirez-Ortiz and Echevarria-Vazquez together before the shooting. Authorities concluded the broken window appeared staged to mimic a burglary, and they believe the shooting may have occurred as early as December 25.

Echevarria-Vazquez was taken into custody and charged with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and drug-related offenses after heroin was found at the scene; he is being held without bail. The investigation into the circumstances of Ramirez-Ortiz’s death is ongoing.

Did anyone in Reading recognize Ramirez-Ortiz or see him with Echevarria-Vazquez in late December?