Community holds funeral service for 13-year-old Butler Township murder victim

More than 60 gathered in St. John’s Cemetery in Butler Township Friday morning to ensure 13-year-old murder victim Jacob Delgadillo had a proper burial covered solely through donations.

“We can’t make it any better for what happened on Earth, but we want to give him the best burial that we could do here and keep him in our hearts,” cemetery association member Sherry Castrine told attendees.

St. John’s United Church of Christ Pastor Albert Titus led the group in prayer and read scripture that included a passage that mentioned that Delgadillo’s sorrow is now ended.

Township residents Kathy and Joseph Tomcheck donated the cemetery plot.

Kathy Tomcheck also spoke briefly, saying the sizeable crowd, which included law enforcement and emergency responders, “warms my heart.”

“I welcome Jacob with open arms,” she said of his addition to her family’s place in the cemetery.

Castrine had worked feverishly to finalize the funeral service arrangements after receiving clearance last week from the county coroner’s office to proceed with the burial.

“Most of you know we didn’t know Jacob. He was someone we read about,” Castrine said during the service. “We felt this child deserved to be buried with respect and dignity, and our hearts go out to his siblings that remain for this terrible tragedy that occurred.”

The rural cemetery is a “beautiful place,” and “Jacob will always be cared for here,” Castrine said.

She thanked the Tomchecks for providing a resting place for his remains.

“They are going to keep him with their family for eternity, and you can’t have a better family,” Castrine said.

Catawissa Monument Inc. in Sugarloaf Township donated the headstone. Castrine said it will have Delgadillo’s image on the front and a bible verse on the back: “Let the children come to me.”

The Nat, Gawlas, Jordan Funeral Home in Edwardsville volunteered, for no fee, to provide an urn, transport the cremains to the cemetery Friday and provide funeral cards in memory of the teen.

Castrine said after Friday’s service she and Kathy Tomcheck plan to press legislators for changes intended to prevent other children from “falling through the cracks.”

“We want to raise awareness,” said Castrine.

Delgadillo’s adoptive parents, Cesar and Virginia Delgadillo, remain behind bars pending adjudication on charges stemming from his Aug. 4 death from sharp and blunt force trauma inside their residence on Louis Circle in the township.

Cesar Delgadillo was charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and child endangerment.

Court records allege he physically assaulted the youth, using an electrical cord to whip the boy 10 to 15 times, punching the boy in the face and shoving a back scratcher into the boy’s mouth.

Virginia Delgadillo was charged with five counts of child endangerment, four counts of corruption of minors and a single count of tampering with evidence. Court records assert she failed to call 911 as her husband allegedly caused the fatal injuries, instructed other children inside the house to clean blood from multiple areas inside the residence and replaced bloody clothing on the youth to cover injuries.

Luzerne County officials have said Delgadillo was one of five children in the residence — four adopted and one biological. This county’s Children, Youth and Families agency was not involved in the adoptions because those decisions were made before the family relocated here, officials said. Delgadillo’s four juvenile siblings are now in custody of county CYF, officials said.

County CYF had made arrangements to hold a memorial service for the 13-year-old last month at the Weatherly Faith Church in Weatherly because the teen had been involved with that church and its youth group. In order to protect the privacy of Delgadillo’s siblings, no general public announcement was made for that service.