In the early morning hours of January 29, 2023, the life of Carlos Bello, a 31-year-old Hispanic male from Methuen, Massachusetts, was tragically cut short. At approximately 2:06 a.m., police responded to reports of gunfire in the Haverhill Street area. Shortly after, a local hospital informed authorities that a man had arrived with a gunshot wound. That man was identified as Carlos Bello, who was pronounced dead at Lawrence General Hospital.
Bello, a father and a mechanic with a passion for cars, was remembered by loved ones for his infectious smile and as being the life of the party.
The investigation into the fatal shooting was a collaborative effort involving the State Police detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorney's Office, along with detectives from the Methuen and Lawrence Police Departments. Their work led to the identification of two suspects. The first, Adrian Isabel, a 17-year-old from Methuen, surrendered to authorities on the Tuesday following the incident. He was subsequently charged with murder, and a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf. Isabel was held without bail.
A second suspect, 22-year-old Kelvin Francisco-Perez of Lawrence, was apprehended the next day. His arrest took place at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, where he was intercepted by Customs and Border Patrol agents and Port Authority Police while awaiting a flight. Francisco-Perez faced charges of being an accessory after the fact to both murder and armed robbery in connection to Bello's death. Authorities in Massachusetts initiated the process to extradite him from New York to face the charges.
