On the evening of December 12, 2020, a Black / African American man named Lloyd Borgella, a 26-year-old from Roslindale, was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Jake n Joe's Sports Grille in Woburn, Massachusetts. The incident unfolded around 9:11 p.m. when multiple 911 calls reported gunfire at the location on Mishawum Road. Upon arrival, police discovered Borgella suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was quickly transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Borgella's death revealed a calculated and targeted attack. Two men, later identified as Pauliasky Jean Francois, 34, of Plymouth, and Eric Mills, 29, of Hyde Park, had been waiting in a car in the restaurant's parking lot. They later moved their vehicle to an adjacent hotel parking lot that provided a clear view of the restaurant's entrance. When Borgella exited the establishment, the two men approached him and opened fire. An autopsy would later reveal that Borgella had been shot thirteen times. The shooting caused chaos in the busy parking lot, but fortunately, no one else was injured.
Immediately following the shooting, Francois and Mills fled the scene in their vehicle. Their escape was short-lived, however, as they crashed their car less than a half-mile away in the vicinity of New Boston Street. The two men then attempted to flee on foot. Woburn police officers were able to locate and apprehend both suspects shortly after the crash. Both men were subsequently arrested and faced a series of charges, including murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
In November 2024, following a twelve-day trial, Pauliasky Jean-Francois was convicted of first-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a firearm without a license in connection with the death of Lloyd Borgella. The investigation and trial brought to light the premeditated nature of the crime, with the prosecution highlighting that the defendants had specifically targeted Borgella. Eric Mills was also charged with first-degree murder and other related offenses, with his case scheduled to proceed separately.
