Juan Carlos Matos Figueroa, 22, of Somerville, faced a judge this week in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jimmy Vasquez in Chelsea during 2017. According to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, the defendant was ordered held without bail at his arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court.
Figueroa was arraigned on indictments that include first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity feeding device, carrying a loaded firearm, assault and battery by discharging a firearm, four counts of attempted assault and battery by discharging a firearm, and five counts of armed assault with intent to murder. These charges stem from an incident in which Figueroa allegedly opened fire on a group of unarmed teens, resulting in Vasquez’s death and injuries to another victim. Assistant District Attorney Stacey Pichardo of the DA’s Gang Unit requested that Figueroa be held without bail, and the court granted this request.
On January 13, 2017, in the afternoon, Vasquez and five other teens between ages 15 and 18 were gathered in front of a Shurtleff Street address. None of them possessed weapons.
Shortly after 5:30 p.m., a vehicle carrying Figueroa as a backseat passenger traveled down Shurtleff Street toward Grove Street. According to prosecutors, Figueroa retrieved a 9mm handgun equipped with a 30-round magazine and a red laser sight, pointing it at the group and using the laser to attract their attention.
The vehicle traveled a short distance further before stopping. At that point, Figueroa exited and fired at the group, fatally wounding Vasquez in the abdomen and striking another 15-year-old in the foot, according to Pichardo. The vehicle’s occupants then fled the scene.
The investigation involved Chelsea Police detectives and State Police detectives working with Conley’s office. They conducted witness interviews, obtained video surveillance footage from the area, and gathered physical evidence including shell casings from the shooting scene.
The case proceeded to a grand jury, which returned 14 indictments against Figueroa on Friday. That same day, Chelsea and State Police found him at a Jacques Street residence in Somerville and arrested him.
Erin O’Connor serves as the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Robert Griffin represents Figueroa. A court appearance is scheduled for May 10.