Tiverton man wanted in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on serious charges, captured

A 53-year-old Tiverton, RI man who was listed as one of Bristol County’s Most Wanted Fugitives after skipping his July 16 Superior Court arraignment date, is in custody in Chicago, Illinois, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Brian Jagielski, 53, of Tiverton, RI, is wanted in Massachusetts in connection to a serious domestic violence case. The defendant is under indictment in Bristol County for strangling his girlfriend on multiple occasions in New Bedford and for also taking her to the Freetown State Forest against her will and threatening to bury her there. He is also accused of slapping her, smashing a vase and holding a piece of its broken glass up to her throat while threatening to kill her. The incidents are all alleged to have occurred in January.

At the time of his arrest by New Bedford Police, he was on probation in Rhode Island for a previous domestic violence conviction where he spent four years in prison. While the Bristol County case was still in the District Court, the defendant posted $27,500 cash bail and was then transported to Rhode Island for the alleged violation of his probation. After a hearing in Rhode Island in July, he posted an additional $10,000 cash bail and was ordered to return to Massachusetts for his Superior Court arraignment on the new indictment charging him with assault and battery on a family or household member, assault with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and witness intimidation.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on July 16th in Fall River Superior Court, but did not appear. An arrest warrant issued on that same day.

The defendant was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Friday night after arriving there on a flight from Mexico. He is currently being held in Illinois as a Fugitive From Justice and has waived rendition.

Massachusetts State Police Troopers assigned to this office are in the process of making arrangement to transport the defendant back to Massachusetts for his arraignment in Fall River Superior Court.