Repeat New Bedford House Breaker Sentenced to Prison

Bristol County District Attorney’s Office

Thomas M. Quinn III

District Attorney

Press Release
February 2, 2023

A 33-year-old New Bedford man, with a lengthy history of committing similar crimes, was sentenced to serve three to five years in state prison after being convicted of breaking into two separate New Bedford residences in 2021, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Joel Reyes pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court last Friday to indictments charging him with Breaking and Entering During the Nighttime, Breaking and Entering During the Daytime and Larceny from a Building.

On February 24, 2021, victim reported to police that after her son reported to her that his PlayStation was missing, she checked her surveillance cameras. Recorded on video, she could see the defendant had broken into her home during the middle of the day while her 11-year-old daughter was inside the home.  The defendant crept up to the boy’s bedroom and stole the gaming console before leaving the house.

Then on August 30, 2021, New Bedford Police were dispatched at 3:50 AM to a Washington Street apartment building for a report of an unknown male inside the building. Upon arrival, police locate the defendant in the basement of the home. He claimed a friend named “Junior” said he could use the basement for laundry, but no one by that name lived in the home. The defendant had a backpack with him, which contained a red power drill that belonged to one of the tenants.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gillian Kirsch and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.

The defendant has previously served county jail time for previous breaking entering crimes, larcenies and assaults.

Contact:

Gregg Miliote

Director of Communications

774-292-9576