In the early evening of September 29, 2022, a 26-year-old man, Hanser Abraham Moreta-Gonzalez, was fatally shot in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. The incident occurred just after 6 p.m. in the area of 625 Shawmut Avenue, near Ramsay Park. When police officers from the South End district arrived, they found Moreta-Gonzalez suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency responders transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A Boston native, born on February 24, 1996, to Laura Gonzalez and Jesus Moreta, he was remembered by friends as a graduate of Madison High School who was always trying to have a good time and make those around him laugh. He was a father to a young son.
The investigation into the shooting continued for months. The Boston Police Department's Homicide Unit actively sought information from the public to piece together the events that led to the death of Moreta-Gonzalez. Their efforts eventually led to the identification of several suspects. In April 2023, police in East Boston arrested a 17-year-old from Dorchester, Jason Amazan, and charged him with murder. The driver of the vehicle Amazan was in, also a 17-year-old, was arrested on gun-related charges.
Further developments came in July 2023, when the Fugitive Unit apprehended 21-year-old Adornous Hazelwood of Brockton. His arrest was the result of a coordinated investigation between Boston Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, which led to a warrant for his arrest on multiple charges, including murder and armed robbery. In connection with the case, two other individuals, Desmond Hallett-Woodley and Joshua Bajon, were also charged. By October 2024, the case saw significant progress in the courts. An unnamed 17-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge of unarmed robbery related to the shooting and was sentenced. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Jason Amazan, Adornous Hazelwood, and Desmond Hallett-Woodley were all expected to plead guilty to charges connected to the deadly shooting of Moreta-Gonzalez.
