James Alberto Jr. shown at the Luzerne County Courthouse on May 3, 2024. Ed Lewis | Times Leader
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WILKES-BARRE — A 17-year-old boy currently charged as an adult for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting that seriously injured a boy in Nanticoke is nearing completion of earning a General Education Development certificate.
James Alberto Jr., then 16, was inside a stolen 2014 Hyundai Elantra driven by John Carl Pearce IV, 17, when he reached out a window and fired multiple shots, striking a 14-year-old boy in the head and ankle on July 21, 2023, according to court records.
The shooting happened in the area of West Green and Maple streets.
During a review hearing due to being a minor housed in an adult prison, Alberto asked President Judge Michael T. Vough if he could remain jailed at the Lackawanna County Prison.
Alberto and his attorney, Ellen Granahan, said he has taken extra-educational classes while at Lackawanna County Prison and is nearing completion to earn his GED. Alberto further said “everything is fine” at the adult prison.
Assistant District Attorney Julian Truskowski said there are “no beds” at any juvenile detention facility in Pennsylvania for Alberto, who Vough said will remain at the Lackawanna County Prison for the time being.
Alberto is facing charges of criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, arson, reckless burning, receiving stolen property and possessing a firearm by a minor.
Alberto has been at the Lackawanna County Prison to keep him separated from Pearce, a co-defendant, who has been housed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
Pearce is likely to be transferred to a state prison in the near future as he pled guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, arson, theft and criminal conspiracy to commit access device fraud on Sept. 6.
After Pearce pled guilty, Vough sentenced him to five-to-10 years in state prison.
According to court records by the Pennsylvania State Police at Wilkes-Barre, the Hyundai Elantra was reported stolen to the Nanticoke City Police Department on July 19, 2023.
Investigators allege Alberto was the gunman who shot the 14-year-old boy from the Hyundai driven by Pearce.
After the shooting, the occupants of the Hyundai were recorded on surveillance cameras driving south on Route 11 when a 2013 Ford F150 pickup truck was stolen from a Salem Township residence, court records say.
Video footage showed the Hyundai and the Ford outside Sheetz in Larksville, before the Hyundai was set ablaze in Plymouth.
Alberto was arrested by Wilkes-Barre police when he was allegedly stopped driving the stolen Ford pickup truck on July 26, 2023.