New Bedford Man Involved in Savage Beating Sentenced to Prison
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
September 13, 2021
A 23-year-old New Bedford man who took part in the savage beating of an unsuspecting victim in June of 2019 was sentenced to serve up to five-and-a-half years in state prison last week, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Raul Luna Augusto pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court last Friday to an indictment charging him with Aggravated Assault and Battery-Causing Substantial Bodily Injury.
On June 2, 2019 at approximately 12:40 am, New Bedford Police were dispatched to Phillips & Acushnet Ave regarding a male bleeding heavily in an alleyway. A surveillance camera affixed to a building that abuts the alley/driveway shows a dark colored Nissan Altima back into that driveway at 12:36 and shut off its lights.
At 12:38, the male victim enters the frame, walking toward the back of the driveway. The victim was approximately 30-40 feet from the side of car when he and the occupants of the car have some very brief conversation. The two rear passengers, one of whom was later identified as this defendant, exited the car and approached the victim quickly. One swings and knocks him to the ground. Both then begin to kick and stomp on the victim, primarily in the head and face area.
During the beating, the driver and the front seat passenger exit the car and run up to the victim. The passenger begins to kick and stomp as the driver circles around the beating. The beating ends with a last stomp to the face by the front seat passenger which causes the victim’s body to tremble. The driver then places the victim’s baseball cap over his face as he lies there on his back. All four men then fled in the vehicle.
After further investigation which included reviewing the footage from several surveillance cameras, the vehicle used during the incident was found at the defendant’s New Bedford address.
The victim was initially transported to St. Luke’s for stabilization and then to Rhode Island Hospital. He suffered cardiac arrest after intubation and had no pulse for four minutes. He suffered multiple complex facial fractures, which required surgical procedure for repair. A dozen plates and one implant were used in the surgery. The victim is also at risk for impaired vision/blindness going forward due to the injuries. He also suffered a broken ankle which required surgery.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Veenstra and the three-and-a-half to five-and-a-half year prison sentence was imposed by Judge Renee Dupuis.
“I am pleased the defendant was held accountable for his role in the vicious beating of the victim, who could have died from the serious injuries inflicted upon him. This case again highlights the importance of video surveillance in solving difficult cases,” District Attorney Quinn said.
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
774-292-9576