In the wake of the shooting in a Radnor park over the weekend, the Delaware County Council again faced immigration concerns at its meeting last week.
Sergeant Brady McHale of the Radnor Township Police Department said 33-year-old Tomas Cruz-Gayosso of Brooklyn, NY, was arrested last Sunday after police responded to a report of a shooting in Skunk Hollow Park.
Several shell casings and opened beer and liquor bottles were found in Cruz-Gayosso’s vehicle. The park was also closed for 45 minutes while officers investigated the incident.
At the district council meeting on Wednesday, several community members expressed their concerns.
“Someone fired six shots in a park near your house, Elaine,” Marple resident Charles Alexander told County Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer. “That’s great, six shots fired in a township park in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.”
Alexander said he would blame the council if someone was injured by an illegal immigrant.
“As if we didn’t warn you?” he said. “We will continue to raise the issue. And if you do nothing and someone’s child, mother, sister, brother or anyone gets hurt, we will hold you responsible.”
Gary Ryder, from Marple, was concerned about the safety of children using the park and its surroundings.
“The guy who was shot is an illegal immigrant that you are allowing into our country,” he said.
Police said Cruz-Gayosso had a work visa, but it was not possible to determine whether he was in the United States legally or illegally.
At the county council meeting, Diane Tumolo, a lifelong resident of the county, said she is a nurse.
“We are all immigrants. I love immigrants. I care about immigrants,” she said. “Illegalism is the problem… When people come here without papers, we don’t know what diseases they carry.”
Debra Morton of Springfield shared her perspective as an immigrant who has now been an American citizen for seven years.
“I decided to move here because it’s a fantastic country,” she said. “When I came to the United States, I had a green card. I was subjected to blood tests, interviews and biometrics. These are appropriate safeguards for a country that wants to know who wants to stay and who wants to live here.”
She added that family members who visit her will also be biometrically registered upon entry.
“It’s not just about immigration,” Morton said. “It’s about the legality of everything that’s happening and the safety of people who have children and live in a township with parks… and it scares me to think that there are people committing the crimes that we’ve seen in New York and elsewhere… It’s a safety issue.”
She expressed concern about the cost of care.
“Our society and our country simply cannot tolerate so many people not paying taxes because then we run out of money and then we are all in trouble,” she said.
County Councilman Kevin Madden said he would not question their fears and concerns and recommended that they raise their concerns with government officials, particularly those at the federal level responsible for immigration and customs enforcement.
“It’s not us,” he said of the district council.
Police-specific information
Regarding last Sunday’s incident, McHale added: “There were no injuries to pedestrians or residents near the park.”
He said police were initially dispatched to Saw Mill Park because shots had been fired there, and then realized the incident occurred across the creek in Skunk Hollow Park.
Police found Cruz-Gayosso sitting in a black SUV with several open bottles of beer and liquor, a 9mm pistol and six empty bullet casings clearly visible on his person.
McHale said the gun was registered in someone else’s name.
“He does not have a permit to carry a firearm,” the sergeant said of Cruz-Gayosso.
Cruz-Gayosso was charged with illegal possession of a firearm without a permit, reckless endangerment of another person and driving under the influence.
McHale said Cruz-Gayosso was taken into custody without incident and told officers he would “stick around,” but they were unable to determine what that meant.
McHale said he appeared to be passing through.
He said the incident was similar to a 2022 case when a man was taken into custody after gunshots were reported in Fenimore Woods Park.
In this case, McHale said the man stated he had just purchased a gun and wanted to see what it was like to shoot it.
Regarding the reasons for Cruz-Gayosso’s shooting, McHale said: “He did not elaborate on the purpose.”
The sergeant added that no property appears to have been damaged in Skunk Hollow Park or the surrounding area.
Cruz-Gayosso was arrested and taken to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility. He was released two days later after posting 10% of his $35,000 bail. A defense attorney was not listed.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 5 before District Judge Sloan Walker.
McHale urged citizens to remain vigilant wherever they are.
“Crime is nowhere to be found,” the sergeant said. “It’s so important to be alert and aware of your surroundings.”
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