20-year-old accused of murder at Myles Standish State Forest held without bail, pleads not guilty

PLYMOUTH – A man pleaded not guilty and was held without bail for fatally shooting a man in Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.

Monday, in Plymouth District Court, 20-year-old John Geovanni Pires Monteiro Macedo pleaded not guilty to one count of Murder and was held without bail for the shooting death of 25-year-old Robert Aponte-Flores of New Bedford.

On July 12, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Plymouth Police received several 911 calls for a report of a shooting at Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth and a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Upon arrival, Plymouth Police and first responders located the male victim, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his face, left triceps, and right collarbone. The victim was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess-Plymouth Hospital where he was pronounced dead of his injuries and identified as Aponte-Flores.

Plymouth Police contacted Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and began the investigation. Multiple witnesses on scene described that an altercation took place in a picnic area of the park between the victim and Macedo, prior to the shooting.

As a result, Massachusetts State Police sought and obtained an arrest warrant for Macedo on July 13. At approximately 3:55 p.m. this past Saturday, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section located and arrested Macedo without incident, at an apartment in New Bedford.

Macedo is next scheduled to appear in court on October 5, 2023.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by Massachusetts State Police, Plymouth Police, and New Bedford Police.