In the early morning hours of July 17, 2021, tragedy struck at the intersection of East Main and Wall streets in Waterbury, Connecticut. Trevor Christopher Figueroa, a 27-year-old Black/African American male, was found in the road with a life-threatening gunshot wound to his face. Emergency services responded to the call of shots fired around 1:50 a.m. and transported him to a nearby hospital.
A second man was also wounded in the incident, suffering non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his leg and foot. Despite medical efforts, Trevor Figueroa succumbed to his injuries a few days later.
The Waterbury Police Department's Major Crimes Division immediately launched a homicide investigation. Detectives utilized surveillance footage from the area which captured the shooting and identified a vehicle with Massachusetts license plates involved in the crime. This crucial piece of evidence led investigators to collaborate with law enforcement in Massachusetts, resulting in the identification of three suspects, all from Springfield, Massachusetts. The investigation revealed a coordinated effort that brought violence to the streets of Waterbury.
Within a month of the fatal shooting, the first suspect was in custody. In August 2021, police arrested 31-year-old Carlos Leon in connection with the homicide. He was charged with a litany of offenses, including two counts of attempt to commit murder and multiple firearm-related charges, to which he later pleaded guilty. The pursuit of justice continued, and in October 2021, authorities apprehended 24-year-old Jose Soto and 19-year-old Michael Laboy. Soto was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals and Waterbury police. Laboy was located in a correctional institution in Massachusetts on unrelated charges and awaited extradition. With all three men connected to Figueroa's death apprehended, the case moved towards legal resolution.
The legal proceedings culminated in a significant prison sentence for one of the men responsible for Trevor Figueroa's death. In February 2024, Jose Soto pleaded guilty to charges of murder, criminal possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit. He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the fatal shooting. The sentencing brought a measure of closure to a case that had senselessly cut short a young man's life.
