The suspect in the city's 2nd murder of the year was arrested hours after the shooting death at Appleton and Elm streets.
View full sizeA state police detective searches the area behind 341 Appleton St. for evidence following Monday night's fatal shooting. The victim can be seen in the background under a sheet.
View full sizeHampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni is briefed by a detective at the scene of Monday night's homicide in HolyokeUpdates a story posted Monday at 8:37 p.m.
HOLYOKE – Juan C. Perez, of 374 Maple St., was arrested and charged with the city’s second murder of 2011 on Monday, only weeks after he also stabbed the victim, police said.
The murder happened less than two days after the city’s first homicide early Sunday outside a High Street bar.
The body of Reynaldo Fuentes, 23, of 74 Waldo St., was found riddled with bullets in a parking lot behind Las Chicas market, 341 Appleton St., about 7:30 p.m., police said.
Perez, 26, was charged with killing Fuentes, Capt. Arthur R. Monfette said.
“He was just booked for murder,” Monfette said.
Two other men also were about to be arrested in the fatal shooting, including one who was being questioned late Monday at the Police Station on Appleton Street, he said.
But it appeared Perez had the main beef with Fuentes, though the seeds of the dispute were unclear. Perez was accused of stabbing Fuentes two or three weeks ago, Monfette said.
Kenneth Torres, 15, said at the scene that it was his brother who was killed. Fuentes was one of eight children and worked at a construction job in Northampton, Torres said.
“I don’t know why this happened. He didn’t get into problems with nobody. I can’t believe this happened,” Torres said.
The brothers used to hang out together, said Torres, who said the victim’s nickname was “Goldo.”
A clerk who said he worked at Las Chicas Market and didn’t want his name used said he heard three or four gunshots but didn’t see anything. Monfette said the market had nothing to do with the shooting.
The killing did not appear to be related to the city’s first murder of 2011, said acting Police Chief Frederick J. Seklecki, which occurred about 1:30 a.m. Sunday outside The Clover Cafe, 104 High St.
In that case, Oscar Castro, 26, of 23 Essex St., died from a single gunshot to the head in what police said was a street gang-related killing.
At Appleton and Elm streets, more than 100 people, many of them visibly upset, had gathered at the site of the killing about 8 p.m. Police blocked off parts of Appleton and Elm streets.
Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni was on the scene and met later with detectives at the Police Station.
Staff reporter Jeanette DeForge contributed to this report
Two homicides in Holyoke in 2 days
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