Fall River Man Sentenced for Robbing Elderly Woman

FALL RIVER — A 31-year-old Fall River man will serve three to four years in state prison after violently robbing a purse off an elderly woman outside a supermarket last March.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office said Brandon Arruda pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to a charge of unarmed robbery on a person over 60 for the incident, which took place almost exactly a year ago.

The D.A.'s office said that at around 5 p.m. on March 1, 2021, Arruda approached a 71-year-old woman outside the Stafford Road Seabra and ripped her purse from her left arm.

Inside the victim's purse was cash, an ATM card, a birth certificate, an EBT Card, and medical documents.

Get our free mobile app

Fall River police published images of the suspect from detailed surveillance footage and received three anonymous tips identifying Arruda as the man depicted.

One of the tips noted that Arruda had previously spent time in jail, and a detective that had investigated the prior matter immediately recognized him from the footage.

According to the D.A.'s office, police arrested Arruda at his Slade Street home after showing one of the surveillance photos to his mother, who identified him, stating "that’s a good picture of him."

“The defendant preyed on the elderly victim because she was an easy target," said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn. "The prison sentence will keep him off the street to protect the public."

Not-So-Rave Reviews for Fall River's Braga Bridge

Love it or hate, most drivers on the SouthCoast use it several times a week. Now some of them have taken to Google to review their experience on Fall River's Braga Bridge.

Go Inside Fall River's Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast

This infamous Fall River home has been sold to a ghost tour company. If you've never been inside before, here are all the rooms you can stay in and the haunted happenings that have taken place in them.