21 and 20-year-old Fall River men accused of breaking into home, sexually assaulting juvenile

Two men from Fall River, Massachusetts are facing some disturbing charges.

According to Chief of Police Stephen Lee, the Newport New Hampshire Police Department received a 911 call from a juvenile resident reporting that a man was trying to get into her home armed with a knife.

Patrol Officer Jack Matarese responded to the call and, following an on-scene investigation, took 21-year-old Jose Ricarte and 20-year-old Andy Abiel Garion Nowel into custody.

Due to the limited information immediately available, Ricarte was initially charged with Simple Assault, while Nowel was lodged in Protective Custody due to his intoxication level. However, Officer Matarese continued his investigation assisted by Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division.

After conducting witness interviews, crime scene processing, and the analysis of physical, medical and digital forensic evidence, investigators developed probable cause to believe that Ricarte and Nowel had both sexually assaulted the juvenile prior to the 911 call. Accordingly, arrest warrants were issued for Ricarte on charges of Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault and Burglary, and for Nowel on a charge of Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault. Ricarte was arrested at the Sullivan County House of Corrections, while Nowel was arrested by the Fall River Police Department and extradited back to New Hampshire by Deputies of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.

Both suspects were arraigned in the 5th Circuit Court – District Division – Newport, and ordered held without bail on preventative detention.

The Newport Police Department was assisted in the investigation by its multi-disciplinary partners at the Fall River Police Department, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, the Child Advocacy and Protection Program at Dartmouth Health, and the Child Advocacy Center of Grafton and Sullivan Counties.

The case is being prosecuted by the Sullivan County Attorney’s Office.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing, and additional charges may be considered when the case is presented to a Sullivan County grand jury.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Officer Jack Matarese at (603)863-3232 or jmatarese@newportnh.gov.