New Bedford Man Who Slashed Victim In Broad Daylight in Front of Young Child Sentenced to State Prison
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
August 23, 2018
A 35-year-old New Bedford man with a seven page criminal rap sheet was convicted this week in Fall River Superior Court of slashing a man across the face in front of his young child in broad daylight and was sentenced to serve five to seven years in state prison, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Rafael Guadulupe pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with mayhem and assault and battery to collect on a loan.
On August 26, 2017 at 8:45 am New Bedford Police were dispatched to area of the Carlos Pacheco Elementary School & Quick Pic on Sawyer & Mt. Pleasant streets for a report of a male slashed in the face while waiting at a bus stop. When first responder arrived, they located the victim and found him to be suffering from a large slash wound across his face from the lower cheek/lip area to the jaw line. EMT’s reported the laceration was deep enough to visualize his bottom teeth and jawbone. While being treated, the victim was noted to be lethargic & losing consciousness due to blood loss and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital in shock.
The victim told police he was waiting for a bus with his girlfriend and his seven-year-old son to go get the child a haircut to begin school when a man he knows as “Macho” approached him and slashed him across the face with a knife. The victim told police that “Macho” ran and got into a white car and fled. Police assembled a photo array using Facebook pictures, and the victim immediately positively identified the defendant as the assailant.
During a sentencing hearing held before Judge Raffi Yessayan, Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Veenstra argued for a seven to nine year state prison term, based on the brazen crime, the fact it was committed in front of the victim’s child and the defendant’s lengthy criminal record. The defense, however, requested a more lenient three to five year prison term.
Judge Yessayan sentenced the defendant to serve five to seven years in state prison, to be followed by two years of supervised probation. The conditions of probation include staying away from the victim and his family, along with the successful completion of anger management counseling.
“This is a vicious attack in broad daylight in front of the victim’s son,” District Attorney Quinn said. “This conduct shows that the defendant has no conscience and is a depraved and dangerous individual.”
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
508-997-0711
774-292-9576–cell