On a tragic Memorial Day, May 29, 2023, the life of 45-year-old Jessenia I. Jessie Simmons of New Bedford, a Hispanic female, was violently cut short in Fall River, Massachusetts. The incident unfolded in broad daylight, at approximately 12:36 p.m., within one of the bays of the Globe Car Wash on Broadway. First responders, arriving at the scene following a 911 call about a potential shooting, discovered Simmons already deceased.
The initial investigation quickly pointed to a suspect,
Angelo Leo, a 33-year-old man from Fall River. It was revealed that Leo and Simmons had been in a previous romantic relationship. Friends of Simmons indicated that she had recently renewed a restraining order against Leo, suggesting a history of turmoil. In the time leading up to the fatal encounter, Leo had allegedly sent threatening text messages to Simmons. The violence of that day was captured on video surveillance, reportedly showing a brutal altercation where Leo stabbed and then shot Simmons as she tried to escape.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Angelo Leo fled the scene in a vehicle. However, his flight was short-lived. About half an hour later, he turned himself in to the police in the neighboring town of Tiverton, Rhode Island. Leo was subsequently charged with murder, carrying an illegal firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious damage to a motor vehicle, and two counts of violating an abuse prevention order. He was arraigned and ordered to be held without bail. At his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.
