New Bedford Man Sentenced Up to 10 Years for Two Separate Shootings

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A New Bedford man has been sentenced to up to a decade in prison for two separate shootings in New Bedford and Taunton back in 2023.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Joshua Deleon, 24, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court on January 7 to two separate shootings and related charges. He was sentenced to seven to 10 years in state prison, followed by two years of supervised probation.

He was previously arrested in New Bedford in April 2022 for allegedly possessing a “ghost” gun.

Details of the New Bedford Shooting

On December 22, 2023, at about 9:15 p.m., New Bedford Police responded to St. Luke’s Hospital for a report of a patient who had suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim, identified as Jovante Matthews, refused to speak to police. However, an acquaintance of Matthews said he had just been at Deleon’s home. Police then discovered one live round at the Worcester Street address, and witnesses at the scene said Deleon had been there earlier in the evening along with two females. The witnesses said they heard arguing and then a loud bang, and then all four individuals left the residence.

Taunton Shooting and Arrest

Later that same evening, Taunton Police responded to 29 Newcomb Place for a 911 call reporting shots fired at the multi-family residence. Police found a woman on the second floor who said someone had been shot. They entered to find Deleon and a second victim, Justice Matthews, fighting one another. Matthews told police that Deleon had shot him, and he had a visible gunshot wound to his leg.

READ MORE: New Bedford Man Arrested in Armed Taunton Home Invasion

When police separated the two men, they saw Deleon was wearing a black face mask and body armor with ceramic plates. They also found two firearms nearby, a loaded Glock 43 9mm semi-automatic with a rifle modification kit and a loaded Springfield Armory SC-9 semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. Deleon did not possess a license to carry or FID card.

Matthews was taken to the hospital for treatment of two gunshot wounds to his left knee. Deleon also sustained serious injury and was transported for treatment.

Get our free mobile app

Matthews and the woman told police that Deleon had entered the apartment with two firearms and pistol-whipped the two of them and made repeated threats to kill them. He then demanded Matthews call his brother Jovante Matthews, who Deleon had shot earlier in New Bedford. He then told Jovante Matthews, “Listen to this” as he shot his brother in the leg. Justice Matthews then charged at Deleon, and Deleon fired several additional rounds during the struggle. At some point, the conversion kit from the Glock fell from the gun, which the woman picked up and then used to strike Deleon over the head.

Witnesses from the New Bedford shooting identified Deleon and Jovante Matthews being present at the scene and indicated a physical altercation took place. The witnesses said they heard a loud bang but did not see the shooting. Deleon’s girlfriend said she drove him from New Bedford to a gas station in Taunton near Justice Matthews' apartment, where she dropped him off.

District Attorney’s Statement on Sentencing

"The defendant is a menace to society who clearly needs to be kept off of the street to protect the public. He shot two people while on probation for a firearms offense,” D.A. Quinn said. “The sentence recommended by my office was more appropriate due to the level of violence involving two victims.”