On what should have been a joyous occasion, the celebration of his 22nd birthday, Hispanic/Latino male Joel Rosario lost his life in a roadside confrontation. On the evening of October 31, 2020, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, what began as a birthday gathering with friends and family took a fatal turn. After celebrating at a home in Central Falls, Rosario and a group of friends were heading to another party in Providence, traveling in several cars.
Their journey was tragically interrupted by a man with whom Rosario had a contentious history.
The man, Jairo Esdel Galva, began following the group's vehicles in his Jeep Cherokee along Lonsdale Avenue. Witnesses later testified that Galva was driving aggressively, following closely and flashing his high beams at the car carrying Rosario, who was a passenger in the front seat of a Toyota Corolla. When the cars stopped for a traffic light at the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and Mineral Spring Avenue, the escalating tension boiled over. Rosario exited the Corolla and approached Galva's Jeep to confront him. As he stood by the front passenger side window, Galva fired a single shot from a. 38 caliber revolver, striking Rosario in the chest before speeding away from the scene.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Rosario's friends rushed him to Miriam Hospital, but the wound was fatal, and he was pronounced deceased. The Pawtucket Police launched an investigation into the homicide. Several days later, on November 4, 2020, Jairo Esdel Galva turned himself in to the authorities. The investigation revealed that Galva did not have a license to possess the firearm he used.
Jairo Esdel Galva faced the justice system for his actions. He was initially tried and found guilty of second-degree murder and several firearms-related charges in late 2021, resulting in a life sentence. However, this conviction was later overturned in 2024 by the Rhode Island Supreme Court, which cited an error in the original trial's jury instructions. Following a new trial in March 2025, a jury once again found Galva guilty of second-degree murder, discharging a firearm resulting in death, committing a drive-by shooting, and carrying a firearm without a license. In August 2025, a judge sentenced Galva to two consecutive life sentences for the murder of Joel Rosario.
