EASTHAM – Eastham Police report that earlier Wednesday on Nauset Green Way, they assisted the Massachusetts State Police and the New Bedford Police with the apprehension of a wanted subject. The subject was taken into custody without incident and there is no current threat to the public. Police say they will release more information when they are able to.
On Thursday, Eastham Police forwarded the following release from the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office: A 33-year-old New Bedford man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with last Friday’s fatal shooting of Kevin Rocha in New Bedford, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Ricardo Velez-Gonzalez was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Eastham by members of District Attorney Quinn’s Massachusetts State Police unit, Eastham Police, Massachusetts State Police STOP team, the state police’s Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section and the state police’s D-Troop CAT team.
On July 21st, police and prosecutors sought and were granted an arrest warrant out of New Bedford District Court on a charge of manslaughter. On July 22nd, investigators received reliable information that the defendant was staying at a friend’s apartment in Eastham. After conducting surveillance on the apartment, investigators confirmed the defendant was inside and quickly took him into custody without incident.
The defendant was held in jail overnight and was arraigned Thursday in New Bedford District Court on the manslaughter charge. During his arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Gillian Kirsch requested that the defendant be subjected to a dangerous hearing and a bail revocation hearing. Judge Paul Pino agreed with ADA Kirsch’s request and ordered the defendant held without bail pending the results of the dangerousness and bail revocation hearings scheduled to take place on July 30th.
The bail revocation request is based on several pending criminal cases against the defendant out of New Bedford District Court and Falmouth District Court.
Due to a court-imposed impoundment order currently in place on this case and the surrounding ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting of Mr. Rocha, 25, of New Bedford, this office is prohibited from commenting further and was unable to announce the charges until the defendant was arraigned in open court.
New Bedford Police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and Homicide Unit prosecutors continue to actively investigate the fatal shooting which occurred between 4 and 5 AM on July 17th.
New Bedford Police responded to 17 Margin Street early that morning and discovered Rocha had been fatally shot inside of the multi-family building.
