After judge vacated life sentence, 26-year-old receives new sentence in Pawtucket murder

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter Neronha has announced that a Central Falls man has been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court for the murder of 22-year-old Joel Rosario in 2020. 

On August 7, 2025, Superior Court Justice Maureen B. Keough sentenced 26-year-old Jairo Esdel Galva to serve two consecutive life sentences at the ACI, plus 30 years to run concurrently. On March 12, 2025, following the conclusion of a 17-day jury trial, a jury found the defendant guilty of one count of second-degree murder, one count of discharging a firearm when committing a crime of violence resulting in death, one count of committing a drive-by shooting, and one count of carrying a firearm without a license. 

“Once again, our community must bear witness to senseless gun violence and its reverberations,” said Attorney General Neronha. “This case is yet another example of the tragedies that ensue when guns fall into the hands of those ready and willing to use them. I hope that this life sentence provides some sense of closure for Joel’s family and friends. I want to thank the Pawtucket Police Department for their partnership on this investigation.”

During the trial, the State proved that Galva shot and killed Joel Rosario. 

On October 31, 2020, Pawtucket Police responded to a call for shots fired on Lonsdale Avenue in Pawtucket. Upon arrival, officers learned that Joel Rosario had been shot in the chest and had been transported to Miriam Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. 

Police interviewed several witnesses who noted that Rosario and Galva had a contentious history. According to their testimony, Galva’s Jeep Cherokee had followed a Toyota Corolla, where Rosario was the front seat passenger. When the Corolla stopped at a traffic light on Lonsdale Avenue, Rosario exited the vehicle and began arguing with Galva, who was seated in his Jeep. During the argument, Galva fired a single shot through the open passenger window of his vehicle, striking Rosario in the chest, before quickly fleeing the scene in his vehicle.

Several witnesses positively identified Galva as the shooter and the sole occupant of the Jeep Cherokee. Further investigation revealed that Galva did not have a license to possess a firearm. 

Pawtucket Police ultimately arrested Galva on November 4, 2020.

Galva had been sentenced to life in prison for the murder in 2022, but according to WJAR 10, “in 2024, the Rhode Island Supreme Court vacated the conviction, saying that the trial judge made an error in jury instructions and “abused his discretion” by precluding the testimony of a witness.”

“I am grateful to the men and women of the Pawtucket Police Department and our partners at the Attorney General’s Office for their work to hold this defendant to account,” said Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves. “Gun violence, especially in cases with tragic outcomes like this one, has impacts throughout the community, and we will continue our fierce pursuit of justice.”

Assistant Attorney General John Perrotta and Special Assistant Attorney General Gregory Moore of the Attorney General’s Office and Detective Andrew Torres of the Pawtucket Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.