Frank Petillo Jr. 2023 Trial Pending
On April 6, 2023 at 5:30 PM UMASS-Dartmouth Police responded to a reported auto vs pedestrian in front of the Balsam Dorm on Ring Road. When police arrived they located the victim, Frank Petillo Jr. (19) critically injured. Frank was transported to St Luke's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Charges Filed, Trial set for June 17, 2024
Danasia Sampson (22) of Mattapan, Mass. will face charges of Motor Vehicle Homicide by Negligent Operation. Investigators determined she was driving 56 MPH on campus, where the speed limit is 25 MPH.
Danasia told the interviewing officer that she had thought she lost her debit card, and was traveling back to her dorm room to look for it. When she saw Frank and the friend he was walking with, she swerved out of the way, but Frank ran in the same direction.
On April 6, 2023 at 5:30 PM UMASS-Dartmouth Police responded to a reported auto vs pedestrian in front of the Balsam Dorm on Ring Road. When police arrived they located the victim, Frank Petillo Jr. (19) critically injured. Frank was transported to St Luke's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Charges Filed, Trial set for June 17, 2024
Danasia Sampson (22) of Mattapan, Mass. will face charges of Motor Vehicle Homicide by Negligent Operation. Investigators determined she was driving 56 MPH on campus, where the speed limit is 25 MPH.
Danasia told the interviewing officer that she had thought she lost her debit card, and was traveling back to her dorm room to look for it. When she saw Frank and the friend he was walking with, she swerved out of the way, but Frank ran in the same direction.
Jose Cortez Cornejo 2020 Trial Pending
On July 14 2020 at 5:10 A.M. Dartmouth Police received a 911 call from a passing motorist reporting of a possibly injured male by the side of the roadway near 180 Horseneck Road. Police along with paramedics responded to the area and located the male, later identified as Jose Cortez Cornejo (27) from New Bedford, deceased.
Cornejo had suffered from four (4) gunshot wounds, to his face, back and sides. When officers arrived on scene they found Cornejo unresponsive wearing a white T-shirt with fresh blood on the left side and what appeared to be a footprint on his back, along with tan jogging pants and blue Jordan sneakers. Four (4) 9mm shell casings were recovered near his body, In addition Cornejo’s license, cell phone and a Honda key recovered. Several residents near the scene reported they heard three to five gunshot sounds between 11 and 11:30 p.m. on July 13th and the sound of a vehicle speeding off from the area.
Arrest Warrant Issued, Suspect Apprehended
On July 17 2020 an arrest warrant was issued for Franklin Antonio Amaya Paredes (23) of New Bedford. That evening Paredes was located and arrested in New Bedford by Massachusetts State Police. On July 20 2020 Paredes pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. Parades has no criminal record, however he is not a citizen of the United States. His attorney argued there was no evidence linking Parades to the crime, no blood evidence, no fingerprints, no DNA, no witnesses.
Investigation
Parades and Cornejo were cousins. Forensic analysis of the cell phone showed that on the day of the murder Cornejo had received Facebook messages from Paredes’ account inviting him to someone’s home. Paredes also admitted to being at the same party with Cornejo earlier that evening. Interestingly, the day after the investigation was started, the name on the Facebook account that sent messages to Cornejo was changed.
On July 13 2020 Parades, his girlfriend, and Conejo all met at the Boost Mobile cellphone store at Cove Road in New Bedford. Surveillance cameras in that area showed that both Paredes and Cornejo were there on July 13 at 10:30 p.m. Shortly after that a Honda Pilot, which is registered to Paredes’ girlfriend’s, arrived on the scene. Paredes told investigators later that he called his girlfriend to pick him and Cornejo up. Paredes claimed he had called someone else for a ride that night because Cornejo was drunk. Both Paredes and his girlfriend were with Cornejo at the Boost Mobile at the time he was picked up and entered the vehicle.
Cell phone forensic evidence came from the cellphone belonging to Paredes’ girlfriend, not Paredes. Parades' girlfriend was present at the time of the murder based on her cellphone records. GPS tracking on her cellphone provided a detailed route, including stops after the murder.
Prosecutors added that investigators do believe the crime is gang-related. Additionally, Parades admitted to investigators that he a personal issues with Cornejo.
On July 14 2020 at 5:10 A.M. Dartmouth Police received a 911 call from a passing motorist reporting of a possibly injured male by the side of the roadway near 180 Horseneck Road. Police along with paramedics responded to the area and located the male, later identified as Jose Cortez Cornejo (27) from New Bedford, deceased.
Cornejo had suffered from four (4) gunshot wounds, to his face, back and sides. When officers arrived on scene they found Cornejo unresponsive wearing a white T-shirt with fresh blood on the left side and what appeared to be a footprint on his back, along with tan jogging pants and blue Jordan sneakers. Four (4) 9mm shell casings were recovered near his body, In addition Cornejo’s license, cell phone and a Honda key recovered. Several residents near the scene reported they heard three to five gunshot sounds between 11 and 11:30 p.m. on July 13th and the sound of a vehicle speeding off from the area.
Arrest Warrant Issued, Suspect Apprehended
On July 17 2020 an arrest warrant was issued for Franklin Antonio Amaya Paredes (23) of New Bedford. That evening Paredes was located and arrested in New Bedford by Massachusetts State Police. On July 20 2020 Paredes pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. Parades has no criminal record, however he is not a citizen of the United States. His attorney argued there was no evidence linking Parades to the crime, no blood evidence, no fingerprints, no DNA, no witnesses.
Investigation
Parades and Cornejo were cousins. Forensic analysis of the cell phone showed that on the day of the murder Cornejo had received Facebook messages from Paredes’ account inviting him to someone’s home. Paredes also admitted to being at the same party with Cornejo earlier that evening. Interestingly, the day after the investigation was started, the name on the Facebook account that sent messages to Cornejo was changed.
On July 13 2020 Parades, his girlfriend, and Conejo all met at the Boost Mobile cellphone store at Cove Road in New Bedford. Surveillance cameras in that area showed that both Paredes and Cornejo were there on July 13 at 10:30 p.m. Shortly after that a Honda Pilot, which is registered to Paredes’ girlfriend’s, arrived on the scene. Paredes told investigators later that he called his girlfriend to pick him and Cornejo up. Paredes claimed he had called someone else for a ride that night because Cornejo was drunk. Both Paredes and his girlfriend were with Cornejo at the Boost Mobile at the time he was picked up and entered the vehicle.
Cell phone forensic evidence came from the cellphone belonging to Paredes’ girlfriend, not Paredes. Parades' girlfriend was present at the time of the murder based on her cellphone records. GPS tracking on her cellphone provided a detailed route, including stops after the murder.
Prosecutors added that investigators do believe the crime is gang-related. Additionally, Parades admitted to investigators that he a personal issues with Cornejo.