Editor’s Note: The following is a submission by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Here is a brief update on some of the events that occurred recently in the Chester County DA’s Office:
Former Fire Marshal Found Guilty of Unlawfully Shooting at a Car
After a four-day bench trial before the Honorable Allison Bell Royer, Defendant Timothy Hubbard, 50, was found guilty of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and other related charges for the incident described below. At the time of the incident, the Defendant was the appointed Fire Marshal for Charlestown Township. Defendant Hubbard will be sentenced on a later date.
Evidence presented during trial showed that the Defendant responded to the scene of a fire investigation and subsequently identified someone he suspected was involved in setting the fire and tried to confront them. When the person started to drive away, the Defendant gave chase and fired a gun at least two times into the rear window and trunk of the vehicle and in the direction of the driver. The Defendant then used his car to repeatedly strike the suspect’s vehicle and block him from leaving the area. When later asked by state troopers about what occurred during the confrontation, the Defendant misrepresented what happened.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “The Pennsylvania State Police investigation demonstrated that the Defendant Timothy Hubbard shot at someone without justification. Being a Fire Marshal does not give him a free pass to endanger others.”
West Grove Man Pleads Guilty to Third Degree Murder in Child Death Case
On February 11, 2026, Defendant Enrique Lopez-Gomez, 32, of West Grove, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to Murder in the Third Degree and Endangering the Welfare of Children, for punching a 9-month-old child and failing to administer or seek out medical attention to save him. Defendant Lopez-Gomez was arrested in June of 2024. He remains incarcerated in Chester County Prison pending sentencing.
The Defendant was tasked with caregiver responsibilities of the child victim when he allegedly fell on top of the victim and subsequently punched him in the abdomen when the child began to cry in pain. The Defendant did not tell anyone about the child’s injuries, nor did he administer care for the child even when his condition worsened into the evening. The child was unresponsive when EMS arrived at a residence in Kennett Square and later pronounced deceased at Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children. The child’s death was caused by blunt force trauma leading to an intestinal rupture and hemorrhage in the corresponding soft tissue. The child was also observed to have large bruising in the skin and muscle around the abdomen.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “This guilty plea to murder is an important step towards holding the Defendant accountable for this unthinkable death.”
Please remember, if you have concerns about the safety of a child, you should say something. Call 911. Call Childline at 1-800-932-0313. Childline reports can be anonymous.
