In the early moments of a Thursday morning, just after midnight on July 21, 2022, the life of 18-year-old Black / African American male William Beltran was tragically cut short on Willow Street in Waterbury, Connecticut. Police were dispatched to an apartment on the street after reports of gunfire. Upon their arrival, they discovered Beltran suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite the quick response, first responders pronounced him dead at the scene approximately 15 minutes after the initial call. The shooting occurred outside of a deli on Willow Street, a location that had been the scene of another homicide just a couple of months prior.
The Waterbury Police Department's Major Crimes Detectives immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Their efforts led them to identify a suspect, 25-year-old Frankie Dejesus of Waterbury. On Monday, July 25, 2022, just days after Beltran's death, police located and arrested Dejesus on Union Street. At the time of his arrest, Dejesus was found in possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia, which led to additional narcotics charges. Dejesus, a previously convicted felon, was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Frankie Dejesus faced a slew of charges, including murder, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal use of a firearm, and first-degree reckless endangerment. The case against him was built on a combination of witness testimony, scientific evidence, and cell phone data presented during his trial in New Haven Superior Court. In September 2025, a jury found DeJesus, then 28, guilty of the murder of William Beltran. His sentencing was scheduled for December 16 of that year.
