Elmira police have arrested a suspect in the January shooting death of a city man in a downtown parking garage and charged him with murder.
Around 9:20 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, officers were dispatched to the Centertown Parking Garage for a report of a possible shooting, according to the Elmira Police Department.
Arriving officers located a victim who had suffered a gunshot wound. The man, later identified as Joshua A. Tappan, 46, of Elmira, was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Tappan later died from his wounds.
Following an extensive investigation, Elmira police on Aug. 11 arrested 21-year-old Jacob P. Chavez, of San Marcos, California, and charged him with second-degree murder in connection with Tappan’s death.
Police did not indicate a motive for the crime, or what led them to Chavez, but indicated the shooting did not appear to be a random act.
Chavez is in custody at the Chemung County Jail. The investigation into Tappan’s death is still active, and police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the Elmira Police Department at 607-737-5626, or leave amessage on the anonymous tip line at 607-271-HALT.
Elmira police investigators were assisted by the San Diego California Harbor Police, Oceanside California Police Department, the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, the Monroe County Crime Analysis Center and the Southern Tier Crime Analysis Center.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira police charge California man with murder for January shooting
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
