Busy July 4th weekend for Fall River police - on top of hundreds of calls for fireworks

FALL RIVER -- Police were busy over the Fourth of July weekend, not only responding to a barrage of noise complaints from fireworks, but also investigating a shooting, stabbing and shots fired.

According to Fall River Police Capt. Daniel Dube, on July 3 around 3 p.m. patrol officers responded to the Beira Alta Restaurant at 826 Plymouth Ave. where they discovered a bullet hole through a glass window and found a shell casing. Police believe the shot was fired overnight when the restaurant was closed. The case is still under investigation.

The following day on the Fourth of July holiday at 5 p.m., officers responded to Plymouth Avenue near the 99 Restaurant and found a man bleeding from a stab wound to his face.

The man told police he was walking down Plymouth Avenue when he was approached by what he described as a Hispanic man who bumped his shoulder as they passed.

Words were exchanged between the two men, and the other man pulled out a razor or knife, slashed the left side of the victim's face and then fled, the victim told police.

The victim was transported to Rhode Island Hospital. Police are continuing the investigation.

The same day about 10:45 p.m., police were called to the area of Peckham and East Main streets responding to information regarding gun shots. Police reportedly found evidence of shots fired in the location.

While investigating the shots fired case, police learned a man was being treated at Charlton Memorial Hospital for three gunshot wounds which were non-life threatening. Police said upon the shooting victim was extremely uncooperative. He was transported to Rhode Island Hospital.

The case is being investigated by the Major Crimes Division. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Moses Pereira at 508-324-2796.

Around the same time of the shooting on Peckham Street, police responded to another call of shots fired, this time at Ruggles Park at 11 p.m., which continued to the area of Columbus Park. That led to two New Bedford residents facing among a number of charges, including assault to murder, according to police.

Police came in contact with a female victim at Ruggles Park who said there had been a gathering of people when she began to argue with one of the people arrested.

The victim told police that one of the suspects retrieved a gun and fired one shot in the air, and that she and a friend got into their vehicle and fled from the park.

The suspects then allegedly began to chase the victim to Columbus Park where they shot several rounds at the victim’s vehicle, striking it but not the occupants, before fleeing.

After an investigation by detectives from the Major Crimes Division, Jasmine Davis, 29, and Mauricio Pineda, 24, were arrested and each charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, seven counts of firearm-armed assault to murder, two counts of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, vandalizing property and possession of a non-large capacity firearm in public without a license to carry.

Dube also reported that a suspect is still at large with an outstanding warrant for his alleged involvement in a shooting incident on July 2 when a man was driving on Stafford Road when shots were fired from another vehicle, shattering his rear windshield.

Three days later police arrested David Stuart, 38, of 10 Maple Gardens, charging him with assault to murder; firearm possession; carrying a loaded firearm without a license; firearm violation with three prior violent or drug related convictions; carrying a firearm without a license second offense; and firing a firearm 500 feet from a dwelling.

Dube identified the second suspect as Marcus Howard, 29, of 112 Osborn St.

Police over the weekend also fielded several hundred calls with noise complaints from Fourth of July revelers.

Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com.