New Bedford Petromart Shooter Sentenced to Prison
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
Press Release
Sept. 5, 2022
The last of the four defendants indicted in connection to a July 2020 double-shooting outside the Petromart in New Bedford has been convicted and sentenced to serve five years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Brian Ortiz pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court last week to indictments charging him with two counts of assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, two counts of attempted assault and battery by discharge of a firearm and one count of carrying an illegal firearm-subsequent offense.
On July 26, 202, defendant Ortiz, his girlfriend Ashlee Cambra, and co-defendants Giovanni Vale-Valentin and Tyrell Woodis-Pina arrived at the Petromart at 171 Coggeshall Street in a 2020 Jeep Compass rented by Cambra’s grandmother. Defendant Ortiz, former Latin King and current South First Street gang member, and Cambra entered the Petromart, and Ortiz got into an argument with another reputed gang member, who had arrived at the Petromart before the defendants with his friends. The clerk at Petromart ordered all the parties out of the store, and a fist fight began outside between one of the victims and Ortiz. At that point, Co-Defendant Woodis-Pina exited the Jeep with a firearm in his hand (clearly visible from surveillance footage), and co-defendant Vale-Valentin takes the gun from him shooting it three times and hitting one of the victims. He then shoots it once at another victim before Ortiz takes the gun from Vale-Valentin and fires it twice at the second victim, who is also struck by gun fire. Ortiz, Woodis-Pina, Vale-Valentin then all jump back into the Jeep as co-defendant Cambra drives them away from the scene. The argument in the store, the fight outside, and the shootings are all captured on surveillance video. Police were able to view Co-Defendant Woodis-Pina’s public snapchat account where he posts video of himself, Ortiz, and Vale-Valentin in the Jeep between 7pm and 8:30pm. The shooting occurred at 8:44pm.
“The defendant’s actions in possessing an illegal firearm and shooting the victim in a ‘“Wild West” scene clearly demonstrates that he is a danger to the community and must be kept off the street to protect the public. He has a prior conviction for illegal possession of a firearm,” District Attorney Quinn said.
On October 20, 2021, Woodis-Pina was convicted of illegal firearm charges and is currently serving a three to seven year state prison sentence. Earlier this summer, Ashlee Cambra was sentenced to four to six years in state prison for her role in this incident, along with two other shooting cases from Fall River and New Bedford. Last month, Vale-Valentin was sentenced to a six to 10 year state prison sentence for his role in this incident.
The cases were all prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Sylvia. In addition to the five year prison sentence, Judge Sharon Donatello also placed the defendant on an additional two years of supervised probation.
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
774-292-9576