By Alec Cheung
Three men have been arraigned on murder charges for the death of Luis Bodden-Maximo, the 23-year-old man who died after being shot six times in the parking lot the Mission Hill Stop and Shop in late September.
Luis Bodden-Maximo (Facebook photo)
Lee Gill, 24, of Natick, Jerome Meade, 21, of Lynn, and Javier Smith, 19, of Roxbury, are charged in connection with Bodden-Maximo’s death and are currently being held without bail. Meade has been in custody since September 25 on gun charges. His bail had been set at $25,000 for those charges, and has since been revoked.
Bodden-Maximo was eating at a restaurant on Sept. 16 with his girlfriend when a man, later identified as Smith, entered the restaurant, according to Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Craig Iannini. Borden-Maximo reportedly recognized Smith as a member of the H-Block gang and promptly told his friend they needed to leave.
Shortly afterwards, another man wearing a black and gray hooded sweatshirt with a bright yellow shirt underneath fired at Bodden-Maximo several times before fleeing the scene.
Inannini said witness statements and recovered video surveillance footage showed the same man running up Calumet Street, tossing his .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and his sweatshirt as he made his escape.
Traces of Meade’s DNA were found on the weapon retrieved by the Boston Police Department. Gill then allegedly picked up Meade in a red Jeep Cherokee registered to Gill’s mother.
Cellphone information from the day of the murder also showed Smith was in close proximity to Meade and Gill during the time of the shooting.
Bodden-Maximo’s mother told the Boston Globe that her son had troubles with gang members in the past, but was working to improve his life. He was afraid that his “enemies on the street” were looking to harm him, and feared for his life, his mother told the Globe.
The defendants are set to return to Suffolk County Court on December 15.
