Providence man to serve 13 years in state prison for felony assault and firearms charges

Published on Wednesday, November 06, 2024

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Providence man has been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court to serve 13 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) for shooting a 32-year-old male victim in 2022.

At a hearing on November 1, 2024, Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers sentenced Jashua Adames Torres (age 24) to 22 years at the ACI with 13 years to serve and 22 years of probation. 

On May 29, 2024, following the conclusion of a four-day jury trial, the jury found the defendant guilty of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of firing in a compact area.

“This defendant’s willingness to use a deadly weapon so indiscriminately is as shocking as it is all-too common,” said Attorney General Neronha. “The more we hold accountable those who commit these senseless acts of gun violence, the more we can deter others from committing similar offenses. I want to thank the Providence Police and our prosecutors for their hard work and collaboration on this case.”

During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant shot the victim three times following an argument on Bodell Avenue in Providence.

On July 23, 2022, at approximately 4:36 a.m., Providence Police responded to a report of a shooting around Hartford Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found a 32-year-old male victim bleeding profusely. Officers rendered medical aid, including applying a tourniquet to the victim’s leg, before he was transported to Rhode Island Hospital.

The victim told officers that he was the target of an attempted robbery by unknown assailants but provided no further details. Police observed a trail of blood leading back to Bodell Avenue where the officers located four male subjects, including the defendant. The subjects spoke with officers and indicated that an argument took place but refused to cooperate further. 

Later that morning, Providence Police obtained surveillance video from Providence Public Housing Authority, which provided a vantage point of the crime scene. On the video, the defendant and the victim are seen arguing before the defendant produces a handgun, points it at the victim, and fires.

Following their review of the surveillance footage, coupled with the body-worn camera footage of responding officers, officers arrested the defendant one day later on July 24, 2022.

“I want to thank the men and women of the Providence Police Department for their tireless efforts to bring violent criminal offenders to justice,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez, Jr. “I applaud the investigators and prosecutors involved in working this case. Violence in our community will never be tolerated, and we will continue to hold accountable those who threaten public safety.”

Special Assistant Attorneys General Michael S. McCabe and Jonathan E. Burke of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Raymond Majeau of the Providence Police led the investigation and prosecution of the case.

 

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