On a bright Tuesday morning in Boston, on September 5, 2017, the life of 21-year-old Alberto AJ Monteiro was tragically cut short in a brazen and targeted act of violence. Monteiro, a young man known for his quiet and humble nature, was getting a haircut at a barbershop on Stoughton Street in Dorchester, just a mile from his home. The ordinary setting of a neighborhood barbershop was shattered when a gunman entered and fatally shot Monteiro.
The shocking and public nature of the attack sent ripples of fear and grief through the community.
Alberto, a graduate of Catholic Memorial High School where he was a talented football and basketball player, was a student at Regis College majoring in Business Management at the time of his death. Remembered as a loving and caring individual, his family described him as a young man who was just beginning to realize his full potential. In the wake of their devastating loss, Monteiro's family has worked to keep his memory alive through positive community initiatives, including the establishment of the AJ Monteiro Memorial Scholarship Fund to support the education of low-income students in Dorchester.
The investigation into Alberto Monteiro's murder remained open for years, with his family and community continuing to advocate for justice. A significant development in the case came in June 2020, when federal authorities announced a major crackdown on a violent Boston-based street gang known as NOB. Court documents filed in connection with this large-scale investigation revealed that Monteiro's murder was believed to be a result of gang-related violence.
According to an affidavit, investigators identified a member of the NOB gang, Ricky Pina, as a suspect in connection with the killing. It is alleged that the murder was a targeted hit. GPS data from a court-ordered monitoring device on Pina reportedly showed him driving past the barbershop multiple times in the short period leading up to the shooting, consistent with conducting reconnaissance for the attack. While this information pointed to a suspect and a motive, as of the latest available public information, no individual has been formally charged with the murder of Alberto AJ Monteiro. The case, while having significant leads outlined in federal documents, officially remains an unsolved homicide, leaving his family and community still awaiting full justice.
