New Bedford Man Convicted on Burglary Charges

A 25-year-old New Bedford man who broke into a young couple’s New Bedford home while they were asleep in bed has been convicted of unarmed burglary and sentenced to serve three to four years in state prison.

Jordan Reyes pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court this week to a two-count indictment charging him with unarmed burglary and larceny from a building.

On June 1, 2014 at 2 a.m., New Bedford Police were dispatched to a home on Milford Street in response to call regarding a breaking and entering.  The victims informed police that while they were sleeping in their bedroom, they thought heard the doorbell, but fell back to sleep. Within a few minutes, the male victim clearly heard someone walking around the house and going through drawers.

The male victim armed himself with a baseball bat and found the suspect in the dining room. The victim tackled the suspect and a struggle ensued.  During the struggle, the suspect told the victim he better let him go or he will shoot him. At some point during the fracas, the now-injured suspect broke free and fled from the home with the victim’s Xbox and the victim’s backpack.

Although the victim told police he did not believe he could identify the suspect because the lights were off in the house, police did find the suspect’s blood on the victim’s shirt. The shirt was sent for testing and a DNA match was found to be in the state felony DNA database for Jordan Reyes.

During a plea hearing before Judge Raffi Yessayan, Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Veenstra argued that based on the facts and the case and the defendant’s extensive criminal record during the past decade, he should have been sentenced to serve five to seven-and-a-half years in state prison. ADA Veenstra also argued that the defendant should be placed on probation for an additional two years upon his release from prison.

The defendant, however, argued for a more lenient three year prison term.

Judge Yessayan eventually sentenced the defendant to serve three to four years in state prison, to be followed by two years of supervised probation

“This  defendant is a career criminal at the age of 25.  After breaking into the victim’s home, he threatened to shoot him during a struggle,” District Attorney Quinn said. “It is disturbing to see the lengthy criminal histories of repeat offenders like this defendant.  A state prison sentence is the only alternative to protect the public.”

--Bristol County District Attorney's Office