Bridgewater man charged with bludgeoning neighbor to death

Enterprise staff
·2 min read
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BRIDGEWATER — A Bridgewater man was arraigned Friday on a murder charge after bludgeoning his neighbor to death, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said.

Sixty-nine-year-old Dinis Moreira was arraigned Friday afternoon in Brockton District Court after allegedly bludgeoning his Spring Street neighbor Valerie Oakhem, 58, to death, the DA’s office said in a written statement.

Oakhem's distraught family members gathered in Brockton District Court Friday afternoon for the arraignment.

After examination by a court clinician, Moreira was held without bail and will be sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a 20-day evaluation, the DA's office said.

Valerie Oakhem's children hold a photograph of their mother in Brockton District Court on Friday, May 26, 2023. Valerie Oakhem's neighbor, Dinis Moreira, 69, of Bridgewater, was arraigned Friday on a murder charge after allegedly bludgeoning her to death.
Valerie Oakhem's children hold a photograph of their mother in Brockton District Court on Friday, May 26, 2023. Valerie Oakhem's neighbor, Dinis Moreira, 69, of Bridgewater, was arraigned Friday on a murder charge after allegedly bludgeoning her to death.

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At approximately 12:34 a.m. Friday, Bridgewater Police received a call on their business line from a family member of Moreira’s, the DA said.

The caller reported that he arrived at his relative’s home at 134 Spring St. and found an injured woman on the floor. Bridgewater Police responded to the scene and found a female victim with severe trauma to her head and face, the DA’s office said.

The victim was transported to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton where she was pronounced dead, the DA’s office said.

Bridgewater Police contacted Massachusetts State Police and an investigation began. State police could be seen outside Moreira’s home Friday afternoon.

Dinis Moreia, 69, of Bridgewater, was arraigned on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Brockton District Court on a charge of murdering his neighbor, Valerie Oakhem. Moreira's attorney Tina Green is on the left.
Dinis Moreia, 69, of Bridgewater, was arraigned on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Brockton District Court on a charge of murdering his neighbor, Valerie Oakhem. Moreira's attorney Tina Green is on the left.

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Both Moreira and the victim live in separate homes on Spring Street.

“Investigators believe that this was a targeted act of violence and not random. The investigation is ongoing,” the DA’s office said.

The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner took jurisdiction of the case and will determine the manner and cause of death, the DA's office said.

Moreira is next scheduled to be in court on June 14.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Dinis Moreira of Bridgewater charged with murdering Valerie Oakhem