Suspect charged in Holyoke shooting death

Staff Report

Published: 07-19-2024 2:21 PM

HOLYOKE — A suspect has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a local man on West Street earlier this month.

Luis Rodriguez, 19, of Chicopee, is expected to be arraigned Monday in Holyoke District Court, the Hampden district attorney’s office reported.

He is charged in the death of Dexter Ortiz, 38. Police, alerted by a ShotSpotter activation on the night of July 9, found Ortiz in the area of the 50 block of West Street suffering from a gunshot wound.

He was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center where he died of his injuries. Two others injured in the shooting were also taken to the hospital.

The prosecutor’s office said Rodriguez was arrested July 10 on motor-vehicle offenses. He was arraigned that day in Holyoke District Court.

Rodriguez was also out on bail in two pending drug cases, and the court revoked his bail after he was charged with a new offense. He has been held at the Hampden County House of Corrections since then on those charges.

Holyoke police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and the DA’s Murder Unit are conducting the continuing investigation.

Mayor Joshua Garcia acknowledged the ShotSpotter technology and the city’s network of security cameras, which provided instant notification and significant images to the police.

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“Unfortunately, this good police work and technology do not erase the tragedy Holyoke has experienced,” Garcia said in a statement Friday. “A man has been murdered. Young children have lost their father. Gun violence has shaken our citizens’ sense of security. The tragedy extends even to the perpetrators of this senseless act, who threw away their own futures with one mindless act of violence.”

Garcia reiterated his commitment to ensuring that residents feel safe to drive, walk, visit, play, work, and live in the city.

“I am deeply committed to ensuring our citizens know that their local government indeed cares about their safety,” he said. “BUT, please know that I cannot do this alone. I need the citizens of Holyoke to demand accountability from each other. Work together as neighbors to fulfill the expectations you want for your neighborhoods.”