On a Sunday afternoon in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 39-year-old Julius Bell, a Black male, was fatally shot in the head on October 25, 2020. The incident occurred around 4:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the Water Works Car Wash on Main Street. Bell was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, but he did not survive his injuries. Friends remembered him as a devoted father to his four children who was actively involved in their lives, serving as a football and cheerleading dad.
At the time of his death, he was reportedly in the process of gaining full custody of one of his daughters.
Initial police investigations suggested the shooting may have stemmed from a fight that broke out in the car wash parking lot involving several individuals. It remains unclear if Bell was directly involved in the altercation or an innocent bystander. A close friend of Bell's indicated that he was not the intended target and had been trying to mediate the dispute and encourage peace when he was shot.
The investigation into Bell's death led authorities to identify multiple suspects. Days after the shooting, as police moved in to arrest 24-year-old Artur Debarros, he took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Law enforcement officials identified him as a suspect in Bell's murder.
Further investigation led to the arrests of two other men. Julio Debarros, the 36-year-old uncle of Artur Debarros, and 33-year-old Olivio Leverone were both taken into custody. In February 2021, a Providence County Grand Jury indicted both men on a slew of charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, and various firearms and drug offenses.
