Fall River Residents Sentenced to Prison Following Late-Night Taunton Shooting Investigation

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — Two Fall River residents recently pleaded guilty in connection with a 2023 shooting at a Taunton residence.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Filizberto Mendes, 35, and Erron Perez, 31, both pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court recently to five counts of attempted assault and battery by discharge of a firearm and unlawful carrying of a firearm.

Mendes pleaded guilty on August 17 and was sentenced to three to four years in state prison. Perez pleaded guilty on June 30 and received a sentence of two and a half years in the House of Correction with 18 months to serve, and the balance suspended for two years.

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Traffic Stop Leads Investigators to Suspects

The charges date back to February 10, 2023, when a Massachusetts State Police trooper was conducting an unrelated motor vehicle stop at the intersection of Bay Street and Whittenton Street in Taunton, and he saw a gray Subaru Legacy drive past him. The trooper ran the plate of the Subaru and saw both defendants in the vehicle. Two minutes later, he heard what he thought was a gunshot, and then heard seven additional gunshots several minutes later a short distance away.

The trooper drove toward the gunshots and saw the same Subaru drive through a stop sign at Cottage Street and Whittenton Street, with Perez driving and Mendes in the front passenger seat. According to the trooper, it was the only vehicle seen in the area in the moments after the shooting.

Taunton Police arrived to assist and found an empty 9mm Ruger semi-automatic firearm under the front passenger seat. Neither Perez nor Mendes possessed a license to carry. Both were placed under arrest.

Apartment Targeted While Children Slept

During this encounter, other officers were dispatched to 1 Meadow Place, a short distance away, after two residents of the apartment said that as they were sleeping, multiple gunshots were fired through their window. There were also children present in the home at the time. Police discovered ballistic damage inside the apartment as well as several spent 9mm shell casings.

“An older son in the apartment had received a threatening call earlier in the day that he thought was related to his involvement with a female from the city of Fall River,” the D.A.’s Office said. “A gunshot residue test of both defendants’ hands was negative. However, a gunshot residue test on the sweatshirt of Filizberto Mendes was positive.”

Ballistic Evidence and Guilty Pleas

The spent shell casings were also analyzed by the State Police Crime Lab and were determined to have come from the firearm found in the Subaru.

The D.A.’s Office said both Perez and Mendes had drug conspiracy charges pending at the time of the shooting, for which they received probation.

"This is dangerous and outrageous behavior. State Prison sentences were warranted,” Quinn said.