Homicide Watch Boston

By Aneri Pattani

A Dorchester man was arraigned Friday, Oct. 9 in Suffolk Superior Court for manslaughter and other charges in a crash that killed an 18-year-old cyclist, officials said.

A Suffolk County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Gregory McCoy, 27, with the manslaughter of Fritz Philogene.

McCoy was allegedly driving a friend’s car and speeding in a residential neighborhood when he approached the intersection of Norwell Street and Talbot Avenue on the night of May 19. Prosecutors claim he slammed into the rear of another car that was stopped at a red light. Both cars went careening through the intersection around 10:10 p.m.

Philogene, who was waiting to cross the street at the intersection with his bicycle, was struck. He died at the scene.

The crash also injured McCoy’s passenger: a 26-year-old Quincy man who owned the car. The driver of the other car was also injured.

McCoy extricated himself from the badly damaged car, and fled the scene on foot, prosecutors said. He left a blood trail from the vehicle to his neighborhood.

Several witnesses came forward to Boston police, eventually leading officers to find McCoy at his Wentworth Street home. He was taken to Carney Hospital, where a blood sample was taken.

Based on that sample, officials believe McCoy’s blood-alcohol content at the time of the collision was above .08, the legal limit for driving, prosecutors said.

McCoy faces charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence, leaving the scene of a collision causing death, leaving the scene of a collision causing injury and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

A judge ordered McCoy be held on $250,000 bail. His next court appearance is Nov. 19.

The man who was shot and killed in Dorchester Wednesday night has been identified as 21-year-old Natho C. Bellegarde.

Police responded to the area around 96 Intervale St. at around 8:40 p.m. where they found Bellegarde suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Responders transported him to Boston Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

Natho Bellegarde

Bellegarde was with his uncle and had just left Hartwell Street, where his mother and grandmother live, according to the Boston Globe. Bellegarde was riding scooters with his uncle and stopped on Intervale Street. At that point, a witness told the Globe, a man got out of a vehicle, walked up to Bellegarde and began shooting.

The witness said the block on which the shooting occurred was filled with people at the time.

Bellegarde had a 1-year-old son and worked as a concrete mason, according to the Globe. The Trinity Boston Foundation remembered Bellegarde as a “bright and hardworking young man” who ran with the foundation’s Sole Train community building and mentoring program.

Detectives are working to solve Bellegarde’s homicide and ask anyone with information to call the homicide unit at 617-373-4470. Anonymous tipsters can call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS, or can text the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27643).

A man was found dead inside a Roslindale apartment Monday morning, police announced. News reports say the unidentified father of three died of head trauma.

“It was inside the apartment,” Boston Police Commissioner William Evans told reporters at the scene. “Clearly this was a targeted assault.”
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A Fourth of July shooting left one man dead and another wounded in Roxbury, according to Boston police.

Police found the two men with gunshot wounds near 12 Holburn Street just before 11 p.m. One, who has yet to be identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

BPD’s full press release is below:
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Police officer John T. Moynihan is now in stable condition after a gunshot to his face on Friday afternoon left him critically injured and the perpetrator dead at the scene. 41- year old Angelo West shot at Moynihan and other members of BPD’s gang unit when they pulled over the car he was driving on Humboldt Avenue in Roxbury around 6:40 on Friday, March 27.

Although Moynihan, 34, was initially put into a medically induced coma, his condition is now improving after undergoing surgery Sunday that removed the bullet lodged in his neck.
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Peter Castillo, 26, was arraigned and held without bail in Suffolk Superior Court on February 5. The Salem man was charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of firearm in the 2012 death of Stephen Perez, a 22-year-old army veteran of Revere. Castillo pleaded innocent to the charges.

Salem News reported that Castillo allegedly shot Perez in the back with a handgun after a fight broke out in the Theater District.
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A man was found stabbed in the area of 5 Ames Street in Dorchester Sunday midnight, police said.

According to police, the victim, whose identity has not been released, was stabbed at about 12:04 a.m.

Responding officers found the man with apparent stab wounds, police said. The victim was taken to Boston Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

Police said there was no further information on the incident Wednesday afternoon.

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Two Boston men charged with first-degree murder are facing prison terms in connection with a 2010 gang feud that left a middle school athlete dead.

Timothy Hearns, 24, and Ramano Silvelo-Miles, 24, pleaded guilty to reduced charges of manslaughter in a Suffolk Superior Courtroom Thursday after admitting their role in the slaying of 14-year-old Jaewon Martin on a basketball court four years earlier.
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David Yarde, 23, who was convicted of second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm on Aug. 6, 2014, was sentenced Friday to a mandatory term of life in prison for the death of 22-year-old DeAndre Russ in October 2012.

During his sentencing hearing, Russ’ family members took the stand to relay fond memories of Russ and express forgiveness for his killer.

His cousin, a Boston resident, lamented gun violence in the city.

“I wish you two had just fought. Now everybody runs to guns,” she said. “All these young men are dying … there’s so much violence in Boston.”

In the end, however, Russ’ memory influenced her decision to forgive.

“DeAndre wouldn’t want me to be mad,” she said.

The victim’s mother, who prepared a letter, said she’s also forgiven Yarde.

“He will never be forgotten,” she wrote. “I’m glad that I got justice for him … DeAndre didn’t deserve that, but David, I forgive you.”

At the time of Russ’ murder, Yarde was out on $5,000 bail for a November 2010 gun arrest. He will serve two-and-a-half years on a firearms conviction before beginning his life term.

A press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office below.
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David Yarde, 23, of Dorchester has been convicted of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 22-year-old DeAndre Russ.

In the early hours of Oct. 28, 2012, Russ and Yarde exchanged words during an after-hours party at the victim’s residence of 1050 Tremont St., District Attorney Julie Higgins said.

Shortly afterward, the two took the confrontation outside, where Yarde took out a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and fired at Russ six times. According to prosecutors, surveillance footage captured Yarde fleeing the scene.

Meanwhile, the gunfire activated the city’s ShotSpotter system. On arrival, police found Russ with gunshot wounds to his forehead and his legs. He was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

Yarde, who was also found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, faces a mandatory term of life in prison at his sentencing on Aug. 22, 2014.

A press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office below.
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