In the early morning hours of July 25, 2009, a violent confrontation in Lawrence, Massachusetts, claimed the life of 33-year-old Hispanic male Rolando Fuentes. The incident was not a random act of violence but rather the culmination of a bitter feud. Fuentes was shot and killed in what prosecutors described as an act of revenge.
The man responsible for Fuentes's death was identified as Jose Ruiz.
The motive for the murder stemmed from a previous altercation where Fuentes had allegedly shot Ruiz's father in the neck. This earlier event, which took place at Ruiz's home, also resulted in the death of Rolando's brother, Orlando Fuentes. For his involvement in that incident, Rolando Fuentes had pleaded guilty to charges including assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and illegal possession of a firearm. He had been sentenced to seven years in prison with three years of probation.
Following an investigation into the fatal shooting of Rolando Fuentes, Jose Ruiz was arrested and charged with his murder. After a five-day trial in Lawrence Superior Court, Ruiz was convicted of second-degree murder. In January 2013, he was sentenced to life in prison for the crime. In addition to the life sentence, which came with the possibility of parole, Ruiz was also sentenced to an additional four to five years for weapons charges connected to the murder.
