New Bedford Police Arrest Two Men for Armed Robbery

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — New Bedford Police arrested two men Wednesday for allegedly robbing a man in the South End.

Police said Edmilson Gomes, 27, and Christopher Fernandes, 39, both of New Bedford, were both arrested and charged with armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and destruction of property.

According to police, at 10 p.m. Wednesday night, Sgt. Kelley Botelho was flagged down by the victim, who told him he was robbed at knifepoint at the intersection of Delano Street and County Street by two males.

The victim said his cash and personal belongings were taken and his cell phone was broken before the two individuals left the area.

The police said Officer Andy Pereira was able to identify two suspects as Gomes and Fernandes.

After conducting a search of the area, officers found the two suspects, arrested them and placed them into custody.

According to police, Fernandes has an extensive history with 29 arrangements that include “possession with intent to distribute cocaine, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and two separate instances of firearms possession.”

In 2016, Fernandes was stopped by police following a disturbance in the same general area of County Street, according to police.

Police said that, “after fleeing from the officers and resisting their attempts to stop him, he was found in possession of a loaded .45 caliber handgun.”

Fernandes was found guilty on the charge of possessing that weapon.

Gomes has a previous history of 49 arraignments on different charges.

According to police, “the majority of these cases were in New Bedford District Court where 40 of them were subsequently dismissed.”

At the time of his arrest on Wednesday, Gomes had four open cases in New Bedford district court, one of which being an assault and battery.