Crime
Person drove vehicle into pedestrians at Kipona Festival in Harrisburg
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A chaotic scene unfolded in downtown Harrisburg on Monday evening after a vehicle plowed through a section of the Kipona Festival, injuring at least two people and forcing police to block off part of the city’s riverfront.
The incident happened shortly after 6:00 p.m., just as festivities for the three-day event had concluded.
Witnesses reported that a red van barreled down South Front Street, where vendors were set up, striking multiple people.
The vehicle sustained visible damage to its front bumper and hood.
Festivalgoers described the scene as “chaotic,” with people screaming and running for safety. Several witnesses reported that the driver repeatedly honked the horn while accelerating down the crowded street.
Dauphin County dispatchers confirmed that police and emergency crews responded to the scene at North Front Street and South Street.
Officers later confirmed that two people were injured in the incident.
A damaged red van was located near Cranberry and Front Streets, cordoned off by crime scene tape as officers examined it.
Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter and Mayor Wanda Williams both responded to the scene as authorities secured the area.
Police shut down Front Street between the 100 block of State Street and the pedestrian bridge to City Island while investigators processed evidence.
At this time, the Harrisburg Police Department is serving as the primary investigating agency.
Details regarding the driver’s motive and whether any charges have been filed have not yet been released.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.