Fall River man who violently robbed elderly woman, sentenced to prison

A 31-year-old Fall River man who violently robbed an elderly woman of her purse outside of a local supermarket last March was recently sentenced to serve three to four years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Brandon Arruda pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to an indictment charging him with unarmed robbery on a person more than 60 years old.

At around 5:00 p.m. on March 1, 2021, Arruda approached a 71-year-old woman outside of Seabra on Stafford Road and ripped her purse from her left arm. Inside the purse was cash, an ATM card, a birth certificate, an EBT Card, and medical paperwork. Arruda was wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants. Officers did not have a suspect on scene, nor was their surveillance in the Seabra parking lot. Due to these factors, Fall River Police’s Major Crimes Division began canvassing the area, and were able to obtain detailed surveillance of the defendant fleeing the area while holding the victim’s purse. The surveillance footage showed Arruda’s facial features, a distinctive hairstyle, and clothing.

Fall River Police publicized the image of the suspect, and received three anonymous tips identifying Arruda, as the individual depicted. One of the anonymous tips indicated that Arruda had spent time in jail and lived in the area. The investigating detective was familiar with Arruda from a past investigation, and recognized him immediately from the surveillance footage. Officers learned that Arruda resided on Slade Street, which abutted some of the backyards he was depicted traversing on video after the robbery. Officers ultimately obtained a search warrant for his address, where they located a backpack, sneakers, and face coverings similar to those shown on surveillance. Officers were also able to show a surveillance still of the defendant to his mother, who resides at the address, and she identified him, stating: “that’s a good picture of him.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Zach Mercer and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.

“The defendant preyed on the elderly victim because she was an easy target. The prison sentence will keep him off the street to protect the public,” District Attorney Quinn said.