Allegedly fled to New Mexico before being apprehended
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Tyler Peters
Two men are facing charges with the shooting of a Downingtown man on Nov. 17, after they were taken into custody last week in New Mexico.
Authorities announced the arrest and pending charges against the two, Tuesday.
Darrance Peters, 23, of Coatesville, and Tyler Peters, 23, of Harrisburg were arrested on Nov. 20 while allegedly fleeing authorities — possibly with the intention of crossing into Mexico — after they had been connected with the shooting of a man on Farmhouse Road, that Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan labelled last week as “drug related.” The man, who was not identified by authorities, was seriously wounded and remains in critical condition in Paoli Hospital.
“These two defendants almost killed a man in Chester County in the middle of a drug deal,” Hogan said in a statement Tuesday. “They fled across the country to try to escape justice. If another day had gone by, they might have made it to Mexico. However, through the dogged determination and teamwork of law enforcement, they were found and arrested. This is what happens when law enforcement works together to solve crimes.”
Darrance Peters
Police said the two men, who are cousins, fled the area the next day, leading to a multi-state man hunt, involving law enforcement organizations from various states and jurisdictions.
“This was an excellent investigation by the Downingtown Police Department, Chester County Detectives, and agencies across the United States,” Downingtown Police Chief James McGowan said. “We work hard to keep Downingtown a safe place and we appreciate the cooperation of our law enforcement partners.”
The arrests cap an eight-day saga that appears to have started with a drug deal gone wrong, authorities said.
The shooting was drug-related, taking place in the middle of a drug transaction, according to Hogan’s office. Both defendants allegedly engaged in shooting at the victim, he said. The defendants fled the residence immediately after the shooting, taking a safe with them. Detectives were able to identify the defendants through multiple witnesses and video surveillance during their investigation, authorities said.
Police said they then discovered that Darrance Peters allegedly stole his grandparents’ van on Nov. 18, the day after the shooting. That vehicle was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as stolen. Once the vehicle was entered as stolen in NCIC, law enforcement discovered that the Albuquerque Police Department had checked the license plate the day before.
Chester County Detectives then coordinated with the Albuquerque Police to determine the defendants’ suspected location. Both defendants were taken into custody in Albuquerque without incident on November 20, 2014.
The defendants have been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, robbery, theft, conspiracy, and related offenses. They have waived extradition and are being transported back to Chester County to face charges.
“This was a model investigation, using good old-fashioned police work combined with high-tech modern law enforcement resources,” Hogan said. “Chester County is fortunate to have such strong law enforcement.”
This case was investigated by the Chester County Detectives, the Downingtown Police, and the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police. Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Harrar has been assigned to prosecute the case. Anyone with information should contact Chester County Detective Marty Carbonell
