Man pleads guilty for role in Fall River shooting, New Bedford murder of 17-year-old

A man connected to multiple shootings in Fall River and New Bedford, including a 2019 New Bedford homicide, pled guilty Thursday in Fall River Superior Court.

Mauricio Pineda pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with Manslaughter, Assault and Battery by Means of a Firearm, Possess to Distribute Class D Drug, Ammunition without FID Card, Possession of a High-Capacity Firearm, Possession of Ammunition without FID Card, and Possession of a Firearm without FID Card.

According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, on September 29, 2019, Ashlee Cambra of Fall River drove both co-defendants, Kevin Edwards of Fall River and Mauricio Pineda of New Bedford, to the area of Morgan Street and Fourth Street in the City of Fall River.

Once there, Cambra waited in the vehicle and the two men exited. Pineda, who was armed with a large capacity pistol loaded with an extended magazine, fired his weapon 23 times. 15 casings were found in the area of Griffin Park and seven more casings were found in the area of 4th Street and Morgan Street. An additional casing was found the next day. Two of the shots struck and damaged parked cars, and from those cars, police found two projectiles.

Video surveillance footage showed both Pineda and Edwards fleeing together from the scene of the shooting using their hoods to obscure their appearance and both clutching items in the front pouches of their sweatshirts as they ran. After the shooting, both men returned to the vehicle and Cambra drove both men away from the scene. Following the shooting, Cambra discovered gloves from the shooting and hid them. On October 1st, Cambra began making plans with Pineda and Edwards to flee the state and head to Florida.

The three left the state the evening of October 1, 2019. Cambra drove the men using her grandmother’s registered vehicle, a white Honda CRV. Cambra drove both men down to Florida to avoid prosecution and to lay low following the event.

However, at some point prior to October 19, 2019, all three individuals made their way back to Massachusetts. On October 19, 2019, a group of Latin Kings gang members and associates were filming a rap video in the North End of New Bedford. Following this, two males walking home on Ashley Boulevard from a Chinese restaurant were shot from behind. One male was shot in the back and paralyzed. Paul Collazo Ruiz, aged 17, was shot and killed. After a lengthy investigation, it was determined both Mauricio Pineda and Kevin Edwards participated in the shooting. Following the shooting, both men stayed at a motel where contact was made with Cambra. The morning after the shooting, messages between Cambra and the men show they were letting Cambra know they needed her. On October 22, 2019, Cambra drove Kevin Edwards from Massachusetts down to Florida again. Cambra drove Edwards down to Florida using her grandmother’s registered silver Acura. This is proven by cell site locations, plate readers and snapchat message content. Messages from Cambra on October 29, 2019, describe her taking him to Florida as being part of a “whole plan.”

On October 20, 2021, Woodis-Pina was convicted of illegal firearm charges and was sentenced to serve a three-to-seven-year state prison sentence.

In July of 2022, Cambra pleaded guilty to Accessory to Murder-After the Fact, Accessory to an Assault and Battery by Means of a Firearm-After the Fact, Attempted Assault and Battery by Means of a Firearm, Carrying an Illegal Firearm and Possession of a High-Capacity Firearm. She was sentenced to serve four to six years in state prison with probation for an additional two years. The terms of her probation include no contact with known gang members, no contact with witnesses or co-defendants in any of the cases, provide a DNA sample and must not possess any drugs or weapons.

Pineda was held without bail pending sentencing which is scheduled for May 16th, 2025.