Surveillance Video and Phone Data Convict New Bedford Man in Earle Street Murder

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A New Bedford man was convicted Thursday of first degree murder in the 2024 killing of a man in the city’s Near North End.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Anthony Jalo, 23, was convicted on November 5 of first degree murder, armed robbery, and carrying a firearm. The conviction followed a three-week jury trial in Fall River Superior Court.

Jalo was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on the murder charge, as well as three to five years for unlawfully carrying a firearm and 10 to 15 years for the armed robbery.

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Details of the Earle Street Shooting

The charges date back to Sunday, August 4, 2024, when at about 1:36 a.m., New Bedford Police received a 911 call reporting shots fired and a man not breathing in the yard of Harmony House at 234 Earle Street. Police arrived to find Aaron Britto, 44, lying in the grass and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, to which he succumbed.

Surveillance Video and Phone Data Key to Conviction

According to the D.A.’s Office, the shooting was captured on surveillance video, which also caught Britto following a man, identified as Rubem Lima, down an alley. Jalo is then seen walking down the same alley and immediately firing a gun at Britto, striking him multiple times. Jalo then leaned over and took Britto’s gold chain before he and Lima fled the scene.

“This case highlights the critical importance of technology in solving many of these violent street cases,” D.A. Quinn said. “The conviction hinged primarily on the effective use of video surveillance and phone location data. There was a very effective presentation of this evidence in court by the prosecutors. Thank you to the investigators for their search and collection of this evidence.”

Subsequent Arrest and Carjacking Connection

Jalo was located and arrested on August 16, 2024. Police also tied him to an armed carjacking in New Bedford that occurred on August 14, 2024, just 10 days after Britto’s murder.

“This case is a tragic loss of life simply because the defendant wanted to rob the victim of his property. This is another example of the lawlessness that is going on in our communities that upends lives and serves no purpose,” Quinn said. “I am pleased that the victim's family received some consolation with a first-degree murder conviction for this totally senseless killing.”