On the evening of May 9, 2022, a dispute between neighbors in Bridgeport, Connecticut, tragically escalated, ending the life of 38-year-old Jose Alicea, a Hispanic male. The incident unfolded at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Washington Terrace, where a single gunshot shattered the evening calm. Alicea was inside his first-floor apartment with his wife and her two children when the bullet pierced through a kitchen window, striking him in the chest.
Rushed to Bridgeport Hospital, Alicea
succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The investigation into the homicide quickly focused on a former neighbor, 20-year-old Delvon Angel Rodriguez. The two men had allegedly been involved in an argument earlier that day, reportedly because Rodriguez believed Alicea had disrespected his girlfriend. Following the altercation, Rodriguez procured a gun, returned to Alicea's residence, and fired the fatal shot through the window.
In the course of the investigation, Rodriguez admitted to the shooting. He claimed, however, that his intention was merely to frighten Alicea, not to kill him. Video evidence from a nearby house placed Rodriguez outside Alicea’s home at the time of the shooting. Rodriguez was subsequently arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force and charged with first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit. In July 2023, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of probation.
