Fall River man with lengthy history sentenced to prison after violent assault on woman over $40 at homeless encampment

A 54-year-old Fall River man who violently assaulted a woman over $40 and then became belligerent and aggressive with the police officers attempting to arrest him was sentenced to state prison last week in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Charles Silvester pled guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with Assault and Battery to Collect a Loan, Assault and Battery, Threats, Assault and Civil Rights Violation. He was sentenced to serve three years.

On April 4, 2022, Fall River Police were dispatched to the area behind the Taco Bell parking lot on Plymouth Avenue regarding an assault on a female. Upon their arrival, one of the officers was walking on the trail to a small homeless encampment and noted the victim yelling and crying in pain in a tent with her nose bloody and swollen. She told police that a man by the name of “Charles” dragged her out of her tent and punched her in the face repeatedly while asking, “Where’s my money?”

A witness told police that Silvester woke him up in his tent looking for the victim, and then saw Silvester punch the victim in the face two times. While officers were standing near Silvester, he said that he had gone into the woods to attempt to get his $40 that he let a female borrow and stated that he “slapped the shit out of her.” Silvester was placed under arrest and was confrontational and aggressive with officers during booking. He attempted to spit on an officer, headbutt them and called a female officer a racial slur.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Pixley and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Valerie Yarashus.

Silvester has a lengthy criminal history that includes county jail sentences for assaults, larcenies, breaking and enterings and driving while intoxicated. This will be his first state prison sentence.

“This defendant engaged in violent and senseless conduct against a woman, supposedly over just $40. The interaction with police was both disturbing and very offensive. The defendant is a repeat offender who has been a thorn in the side of the community and needs to be kept off the street to protect them,” District Attorney Quinn said.