Second arrest in connection with the shooting death of a teenager in 2022

A Darby man who was taken from the Delaware County Jail to Collingdale District Court on Friday to attend a preliminary hearing on a weapons charge was instead arrested on a first-degree murder charge.

Miguel Anaglate, 21, of the 100 block of Summit Street is also charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, robbery and weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 19-year-old Symir Lee in May 2023.

Police previously charged Imeen Warren-Thornton, 20, of the 600 block of Pine Street, with manslaughter, premeditated murder, robbery, conspiracy and weapons offenses in connection with the fatal shooting in the 200 block of North Ninth Street.

An affidavit of probable cause for Warren-Thornton indicated that another person was involved, but could not be identified.

Darby Police Chief Joe Gabe said Anaglate was arrested in June along with Shane Lannon, 21, of Clifton Heights for possession of illegal ghost guns, homemade weapons without serial numbers. DNA taken from Anaglate during that arrest was later positively matched to evidence found at the scene of the Lee shooting, Gabe said.

“Now that we have the DNA, we’ll catch you at some point and press charges against you,” Gabe said.

According to affidavits from Darby Patrolman David Cuddhy, which provide probable cause for the arrest of both men,

Police were called to North Ninth Street around 8 p.m. on May 24, 2023, for a report of a shooting. They found Lee bleeding from his mouth and struggling to breathe. Paramedics arrived and took Lee to Penn-Presbyterian Hospital.

Lee succumbed to his injuries on June 1, 2023. An autopsy revealed that he died from a single gunshot wound. His death was ruled a homicide.

Detective Anthony Salvatore spoke with a witness who reported seeing Lee walking on Ninth Street toward Cedar Lane when two men approached him from behind. The witness described one of the men as being larger and wearing a red hoodie, and the other a black hoodie.

The witness said the man in the red shirt shot Lee once, then both suspects rummaged through his pockets and ran toward Marks Avenue.

Police found a .40-caliber shell casing in front of a home on the block and a blue iPhone belonging to Lee on the sidewalk a short distance away. Investigators also found two bicycles behind a home on North Ninth Street, which were tested for DNA evidence.

Using video surveillance, investigators were able to track the suspects’ movements from several areas, including about a half-hour before the murder, when they were seen walking from the 700 block of Fern Street into the alley of the 100 block of Summit Street, about two blocks from the crime scene.

Another video showed the two men emerging from an alley on the straight side of North Ninth Street shortly before the shooting.

Additional footage shows the two men fleeing down Cedar Avenue shortly after the shooting and then heading toward the 200 block of MacDade Boulevard in Yeadon. During this time, police identified the red sweatshirt with a Coca-Cola logo.

The last video of the suspects shows them entering Holy Cross Cemetery, where police later discovered the red sweatshirt containing two pairs of latex gloves.

The sweatshirt and swabs from both motorcycles were submitted for DNA analysis.

Warren-Thornton was identified as a contributor to the T-shirt and Schwinn in October. He was arrested without incident in December.

Warren-Thorton waived a preliminary hearing in February. He is being held without bail in the Concord County Jail and is scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 7 before Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Scanlon.

Gabe said Friday that DNA swabs from one of the motorcycles identified Anaglate as the other suspect. The arrest affidavit states that his residence on Summit Street is four houses down from the 700 block of Fern Street, where both suspects were riding shortly before the murder, according to the affidavit.

Anaglate’s affidavit also states that Warren-Thornton told police that a shot was fired from a gun he was carrying and that Lee was hit.

In that statement, Warren-Thornton said he was riding his bike when he saw another man he knew who lived on Summit Street. The other man told Warren-Thornton he wanted to buy weed, but they had to hurry because the seller, or “Plug,” was in an Uber.

“Warren-Thornton stated that the man then handed him a gun,” the affidavit states. “(He said) they ran up the alley to meet the ‘plug.’ Warren-Thornton stated that they approached the victim and he ran. (He said) they ran after the victim and while doing so, the victim was shot and the bullet came out of Warren-Thornton’s gun.”

“I want to commend my officers, my department and the agencies that are supporting them, as well as the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office,” Gabe said Friday of the investigation and arrest. “I’m happy for the family. They can get some closure here. My officers have been in constant contact with the family … and I’m glad they can get some closure and know that both of them are off the streets.”

Gabe pointed out that Lannon, the other suspect in the ghost gun case, is not involved in Lee’s murder and has not been charged in connection with his death.

Anaglate is being held without bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for September 27 before Magistrate Judge Lee Cullen Grimes.

Originally published: September 14, 2024 at 9:22 am