A trio of Tennessee teenagers who were involved in a multi-state crime spree that included firing at Pennsylvania State Troopers, a daring escape via a Schuylkill County Walmart, and a manhunt that ended in Connecticut have now been sentenced.
Christian J. Guerrero Jr., Jeremiah Dale Begley, and Kadence Ray Gooch all pleaded guilty in Dauphin County but received quite different terms for their roles in the February 2025 crime spree.
Guerrero, who was 17 at the time, received the most severe punishment after pleading guilty to attempted criminal homicide. Judge Deborah E. Curcillo sentenced him to eight to 16 years in state prison on Wednesday, June 10, taking into account 458 days previously spent.
Crime Spree Starts In Tennessee
The trio began its criminal spree in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on Saturday, February 22, 2025, when investigators stated they attempted to steal stuff from vehicles before traveling north.
According to authorities, the youngsters were driving a red Toyota Tundra that had been stolen in Tennessee earlier that week and was on its way to Connecticut when their drive through Pennsylvania nearly turned deadly.
A motorist driving north on I-81 around mile marker 57.1 in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, noticed a passenger in a Tundra pointing a pistol at her and other drivers around 12:40 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
A PSP Harrisburg trooper discovered the truck about 20 miles north, near mile marker 78 in West Hanover Township, Dauphin County, and conducted a traffic stop.
According to authorities, the Tundra originally stopped on the shoulder before speeding away, starting a pursuit.
The truck exited I-81 and drove to the 7000 block of Manor Drive, when the passengers dropped the rear cab window and opened fire on the following troopers, according to investigators.
Walmart Escape Sparks Manhunt
One round struck the closest patrol vehicle’s right headlight. There were no troopers hurt, and police found three empty shot shells at the location.
After returning to I-81 North, the Tundra was tracked by aerial surveillance to the Coal Creek Commerce Center in Saint Clair, Schuylkill County, where all four occupants left around 2:15 p.m. Four weapons were eventually found, believed to have been thrown from the vehicle during the closing stages of the chase.
Gooch, then 18, from Kingsport, Tennessee, and another 17-year-old were apprehended shortly after escaping the truck.
Guerrero and Begley, both 17 at the time, made it into the adjacent Walmart.
According to state police, the pair discarded some pieces of clothing and shoplifted others to change their look before fleeing through the store’s southeast emergency exit.
The escape prompted a multi-day search for the teenagers.
Fugitives Found In Connecticut
Guerrero and Begley eventually made it to Connecticut, where state detectives believe the group was headed prior to the Pennsylvania pursuit.
The teens were apprehended together in Hartford on Thursday, February 27, with help from the US Marshals Service, Hartford Police, and the PSP Fugitive Apprehension Unit.
They were later transported back to Pennsylvania to face charges in Dauphin County.
Guerrero was charged as an adult despite the fact that he was 17 years old at the time of the crimes. Court documents show that he received several orders to remain in adult detention while the matter was underway.
Three Teens, Three Sentences
On June 10, Guerrero pled guilty to felony criminal attempt—criminal homicide, three counts of felony receiving stolen property, and felony firearms not to be carried without a license.
Curcillo condemned him to 8-16 years in state prison for attempted homicide. He also received concurrent five-year probation sentences for receiving stolen property and two years of concurrent probation for guns.
His remaining aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, conspiracy, and other gun charges were dropped.
Guerrero is now housed at the SCI Camp Hill.
Begley also pled guilty in Dauphin County and received a sentence ranging from three to nine years in state prison. His attempted homicide and violent assault charges were dropped.
Gooch pled guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangering. Another person on Wednesday, Aug. 5, and was sentenced to 11 months, 15 days to 23 months in prison, with 528 days of credit for time already served. His attempted homicide accusation was among the charges dropped.
The fourth kid was prosecuted as a juvenile; thus, his name and the outcome of his case are not known.
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