Fall River woman sentenced to prison for her connection to multiple shootings in Fall River, New Bedford, including homicide

A 24-year-old Fall River woman connected to multiple shootings in Fall River and New Bedford, including a 2019 New Bedford homicide, was sentenced to state prison last Friday, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn announced.

Ashlee Cambra pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging her with 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.

Despite Assistant District Attorney Shawn Guilderson’s recommendation that Cambra serve nine-and-a-half years in state prison to be followed by a two-year strict supervised probationary term, judge William White sentenced the defendant to serve four to six years in state prison. Judge White also ordered the defendant to be placed on 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.

On July 26, 2020, Cambra, along with co-defendants Brian Ortiz, Tyrell Woodis-Pina and Giovanni Vale-Valentin were traveling in a 2020 Jeep Compass rented by Cambra’s grandmother. Cambra was driving, and the rest of the males were passengers. Cambra stopped at the Petromart Gas Station in the City of New Bedford that evening. Once at the gas station, Cambra and Ortiz entered into the convenience store at the gas station where an argument ensued with other males, and the mention of “South First” came up. Ortiz claims to be from there, and the other males present, from an opposing neighborhood, go on to have an argument with Ortiz that escalated and poured out of the store. Clear high quality video surveillance cameras capture the interior and exterior of the gas station store and pumps. The outside cameras show Woodis-Pina emerge from the Jeep Compass with a firearm. He passed the gun to Vale-Valentin who then shot and injured another male who was in the opposing group. Vale-Valentin then handed that gun to Ortiz who shot and injured another male in the opposing group. Ortiz, Vale-Valentin, Cambra and Woodis-Pina all re-enter the Jeep Compass. Cambra then backed out of the gas station and drove the men away. In a subsequent interview, Cambra lied about what time she got home to Fall River that evening. When shown images of herself at the time of the initial argument in the store before the shooting, she admitted she had lied. Text messages between Cambra and Ortiz were recovered from Cambra’s phone, which reveal that Cambra pledged her allegiance to Ortiz.

Cambra was arrested days after the incident. In the meantime, investigators probing a September 2019 non-fatal shooting in Fall River and an October 2019 fatal shooting in New Bedford obtained evidence that Cambra also assisted the alleged perpetrators in both of these incidents. She was then re-arrested in March 2021.

On September 29, 2019, Cambra drove both co-defendants, Kevin Edwards and Mauricio Pineda, 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.”

Of all the co-defendants listed above, only the case involving Tyrell Woodis-Pina has been resolved. On October 20, 2021, Woodis-Pina was convicted of illegal firearm charges and is currently serving a three-to-seven-year state prison sentence. All of the cases against the other co-defendants are still pending, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

“This defendant was an accessory to a series of violent shootings, including a homicide. The state prison sentence holds her accountable for her role in these senseless incidents. These very violent acts undermine people’s sense of security in their communities and a lengthy state prison sentence was warranted,” District Attorney Quinn said.