Puerto Rican resident arrested in Connecticut wanted in Fall River murder

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Connecticut U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, Willimantic SWAT team and detectives’ division today arrested a man wanted in Massachusetts on multiple charges following a December 2023 shooting incident left one man dead.

28-year-old Lee George-Maldonado of Puerto Rico is charged with murder, carrying a firearm without a license, attempt to commit a crime, kidnapping with a firearm, and two counts of attempted assault and battery with a firearm. Maldonado is also facing domestic violence charges out of Puerto Rico.

Following their investigation into the shooting that left 44-year-old Juan Castro dead outside his home on Bank Street Dec. 23, 2023, the Fall River Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Maldonado May 17 and requested the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and apprehend him.

The U.S Marshals investigation led them to a residence in the 20 block of Taylor Court in Willimantic, where Maldonado was hiding out.

Maldonado was taken into custody charged as a fugitive from justice and is being held pending extradition to Massachusetts to face the charges against him.

At approximately 5:18 p.m. on December 23rd, Fall River Police responded to 911 calls regarding a male shot at 326 Bank Street.

When first responders arrived on scene, they located Castro on the porch suffering from a gunshot wound. He was determined by responding EMS personnel to have no viable signs of life and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

In January, 22-year-old Angel Fabian Robles-Nicasio of Willimantic, CT was charged with Murder in relation to the death of Castro.