New Bedford man sentenced to 6 to 10 years for 2020 gas station shooting
FALL RIVER — A 32-year-old New Bedford man connected to a 2020 shooting in New Bedford was sentenced to serve up to 10 years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn announced.
Giovanni Vale-Valentin pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with two counts of assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, two counts of attempted assault and battery by discharge of a firearm and one count of carrying an illegal firearm, according to a press release.
On July 26, 2020 Vale-Valentin, along with co-defendants Brian Ortiz, Tyrell Woodis-Pina and Ashlee Cambra were traveling in a 2020 Jeep Compass rented by Cambra’s grandmother. Cambra was driving, and the rest of the men were passengers. Cambra stopped at the Petromart gas station in New Bedford that evening. Once at the gas station, Cambra and Ortiz entered into the convenience store at the gas station where an argument ensued with other men, and the mention of “South First” came up. Ortiz claimed to be from there, and the other men present, from an opposing neighborhood, went on to have an argument with Ortiz that escalated and continued out of the store. Clear high quality video surveillance cameras captured the interior and exterior of the gas station store and pumps, according to the release. The outside cameras showed Woodis-Pina emerge from the Jeep Compass with a firearm. He passed the gun to Vale-Valentin, who then shot and injured another man who was in the opposing group. Vale-Valentin then handed that gun to Ortiz, who shot and injured another man in the opposing group. Ortiz, Vale-Valentin, Cambra and Woodis-Pina all re-entered the Jeep Compass. Cambra then backed out of the gas station and drove the men away.
“This is another example of senseless street violence between gang members over a petty argument at a business. This type of lawlessness is unacceptable and endangers the lives and safety of innocent people. The defendant must be kept off the street to protect the public. This case also highlights the importance of surveillance video in solving serious crimes,” Quinn said.
More: Fall River woman tied to multiple shootings, New Bedford homicide, sentenced to prison
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Silvia and the six- to 10-year state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Thomas Perrino.
Of all the co-defendants listed above, only the case involving Brian Ortiz remains pending. On Oct. 20, 2021, Woodis-Pina was convicted of illegal firearm charges and is currently serving a three- to seven-year state prison sentence. And last month, Ashlee Cambra was sentenced to four to six years in state prison for her role in this incident, along with two other shooting cases from Fall River and New Bedford.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford man sentenced for 2020 shooting at gas station
