Update: Police in Hazleton said they have Jona Castillo-Rodriguez, 24, of Hazleton in custody. He's been identified as the suspect in an early morning shooting that sent a 24-year-old man to the hospital.
Castillo-Rodriguez was arraigned Tuesday night. He was charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. He was locked up in the Luzerne County jail on $1 million bail.
HAZLETON -- Hazleton police are investigating an early morning shooting that sent one person to the hospital.
It was around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when police were called to East Arbutus Street in Hazleton. Police tell us one man was shot and taken to a hospital. There is no word on a motive.
Hazleton police surrounded and searched Rodriguez's home on North Locust Street Tuesday afternoon but there was no sign of him.
The shooting incident comes on the same night Hazleton's new mayor and acting police chief plan to ask city council to add more police officers.
The shooting has people in Hazleton once again talking about crime, including the landlord of a building near the shooting scene.
"Now these crimes are every week that we can even forget about them. If someone asks me about the crime maybe up on 5th Street, I don't even remember it two months ago. That's how prevalent it's been," said Joseph Marnell of Hazleton.
Hazleton's new mayor Jeff Cusat, along with the city's newest top cop plan to ask city council for money at a budget meeting Tuesday. They want the funds to add at least six more police officers.
The mayor tells Newswatch 16 the money to pay for more officers can come from a 2 percent property tax increase. That works out to an extra $9 each year for a household assessed at $100,000.
Hazleton hasn't raised property taxes in years, but for more safety the mayor thinks an increase is worth it.
"Everyone wants to have a safer community, and with the property values declined, more of a police presence will be more attractive to people coming back to the area," said Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat.
Some people in the Hazleton area believe if there were more police officers on the street, it might prevent situations like this from happening.
"From what I heard, like, the cost is not bad. It's certainly reasonable and we can do without any police and the consequences are what we are seeing right now," said Marnell.
"I'm hoping the outcry of the public helps to push the council to make the proper decision," Mayor Cusat said. "They were elected to do what they think is best for the citizens, so if they think it's too much of an increase and not hire police officers, then that's their perspective."
That suspect in the shooting is wanted for assault aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
Anyone with information is asked to call Hazleton police.