New Bedford man sentenced to prison in Fall River Superior Court for murder of 20-year-old Lorenzo Gomes

A local man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty in Fall River Superior Court in connection with the homicide of 20-year-old Lorenzo Gomes.

Xavier Luis Rodriguez of New Bedford was charged with Murder and Carrying a Firearm Without a License and was found guilty Friday on both charges.

Court records show that Monday, Rodriguez was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 28 years with credit for 992 days already served.

According to District Attorney Thomas Quinn III, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office, New Bedford Police and Homicide Unit prosecutors investigated the homicide, which occurred early July 3rd, 2023, in the City of New Bedford.

At just before 12:15 a.m., New Bedford Police received a 911 call regarding shots fired in the area of Tallman and North Front streets.

Responding officers were approached by witnesses who reported hearing loud bangs that sounded like gun shots.  Several officers searched the surrounding area and eventually located the victim inside his vehicle on Belleville Avenue.

The victim, later identified as Gomes, appears to have attempted to drive to the hospital before losing consciousness in his vehicle.  EMS rushed him to Saint Luke’s Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

In connection to the death of Gomes, two other defendants were charged with Accessory to Murder-After the Fact. Wyllie Monteiro of New Bedford was arrested in Dartmouth and Sterling Robinson, also of New Bedford, was arrested in Fall River. 

According to an obituary, Gomes was a graduate of New Bedford High School, Class of 2021, and was looking forward to attending UMass Dartmouth to pursue his dream of relocating and one day owning his own business.