DA: Boston Man Allowed To Leave State Custody, Murders Teen
BOSTON (CBS) - An innocent 18-year-old was shot dead on Saturday, all because he answered truthfully when asked where he lived, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley's office said on Tuesday.
Rocardo Arias is accused of gunning down 18-year-old Alex Sierra on Saturday evening in the South End.
Arias, who is in the custody of the Department of Youth Services for unlawfully possessing a handgun, was on a one-day pass allowing him to watch a baseball game at Fenway Park.
Police say he was in the area of Tremont and West Boylston streets, reportedly asking passersby if they were from the Villa Victoria housing development.
"The victim, Alex Sierra, was the one and only person who answered yes," Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis told the court. That's when prosecutors say Arias pulled out a handgun and shot Sierra several times.
Investigators believe the incident stemmed from a longstanding rivalry between gangs affiliated with Villa Victoria and Mission Hill, but Sierra is believed to be an innocent victim.
"Once again, an innocent child has been gunned down amid the madness of a gang feud he had no part in," DA Conley said. "Alex Sierra had no criminal record, he had never been arrested, he had no gang affiliation, and neither he nor his family did anything to deserve this fate."
Arias is being held without bail.
