Fall River Woman Sentenced for Attempted Break-In With AR-15

FALL RIVER — A Fall River woman with multiple prior convictions will serve up to seven and a half years in state prison after she was convicted of trying to break into her ex-boyfriend's home with a loaded AR-15 firearm.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office said 41-year-old Anahi Rodrigues pleaded guilty to multiple firearms-related offenses after she was caught trying to break into a city apartment with the high-capacity weapon in March 2021.

Fall River police were called to the Bank Street home while the attempted breaking and entering was taking place just after 6 p.m. on March 1, 2021.

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Officers arrived to find Rodrigues and a co-defendant on the fire escape.

Rodrigues was carrying a backpack, and the man with her — identified by police as Jose Almeida — was allegedly carrying a crowbar.

Inside the backpack, police officers found a loaded AR-15 pistol and two extra magazines with capacities of 19 and 15 rounds, according to the D.A.'s office.

An investigation found that Rodrigues' ex-boyfriend lived at the home and was the target of the break-in, the office noted.

Although Almeida was arrested on charges including attempted breaking and entering and possessing burglarious tools, it is unclear if he was convicted.

Rodrigues has a long criminal record of what the D.A.'s office called "assaultive convictions" since 2001.

She pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm, carrying an illegal firearm, and two counts of possessing a large capacity feeding device, as well as breaking and entering and attempting to commit a crime.

Judge Raffi Yessayan sentenced her to serve six to seven and a half years in prison.

"This defendant has a significant criminal history, including prior jail sentences," said Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn.

"She was caught breaking into a home with a loaded high capacity weapon," he added. "Clearly, she is a danger to the community."