State police have charged a 19 year-old man with killing two teenagers last October in a wooded area near New Philadelphia.

Lamour C. Branch, 19, Port Carbon, was arraigned on the murder charges before Magisterial District Judge David A. Platchko Wednesday morning.

The bodies of Hunter Mock, 18, and Angelito X. Caraballo, 16, both of New Philadelphia, were found on Oct. 10 near Ferndale Road, about a mile from Route 209.

According to state police, a witness told troopers Oct. 8 that he was hanging out with Mock, Caraballo and Branch, when Branch took out a gun and began firing in their direction. The witness ran from the area and began knocking on doors in the borough in search of help. He told police he did not know what happened to Mock and Caraballo.

Mock and Caraballo were reported missing on Oct. 9. Their bodies were located the next day in a former mining area known as “The Sanchez.”

Police said Caraballo had been stabbed four times, and Mock had been shot.

In their arrest papers, troopers said Branch searched the internet for local news reports and “missing people” before state police announced they were searching for the teens.

Police spoke to the witness again on Oct. 10, who said he, Branch, and the victims were hanging out and talking “like friends” when Branch took out his gun and began firing. All attempted to run away, he said. At one point he heard Carabello yelling “Stop!” to Branch.

Branch was taken into custody from a Wright Township home on Oct. 10 on unrelated burglary charges. He told troopers that he was not at the scene and said another man shot Mock. He said the man dropped the gun and yelled, “Get Angel.” Branch said he picked up the gun, aimed it at Carabello, but it did not fire. He said there was a brief scuffle among the three, and that he lost sight of the others and went home.

While in prison, police said Branch told a fellow inmate that he had intended to kill another person and possibly Mock.

Branch told the inmate that he feared for his safety because the intended target had “a bullet with his name on it.”

When the intended victim did not show up, he shot Mock instead.

Branch faces two counts of murder of the first degree; two counts of murder of the third degree; six counts of aggravated assault; five counts of simple assault, as well as possession of an instrument of crime, reckless endangerment, and tampering with evidence.