A Lowell, Massachusetts man was convicted Friday of a murder that occurred in Lowell in 2020.
Deija Mendez, 23, of Boston, was fatally shot in the front seat of an SUV on Coral Street on the afternoon of June 23, 2020.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the victim and another man went to the Coral Street residence to retrieve a car and that there was a dispute over possession of the car. DeJesus left the residence, acquired a firearm, then returned to the area of the residence and fatally shot Ms. Mendez, authorities said.
Authorities say Xavier DeJesus shot Deija Mendez in the head after receiving a call from his girlfriend.
The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office said Friday that Xavier DeJesus, 23, of Lowell, had been convicted of second-degree murder as well as four firearms charges.
DeJesus was arrested in Fall River a month after the shooting.
Three more people were accused at that time of intimidating a witness in the investigation of the murder of the Puerto Rican woman.
The mother of Deija Méndez, 23, says her daughter went to her house for dinner on Monday night without imagining that it would be the last time she would see her alive.
“In this case, the defendant fired a weapon at 3:30 p.m. in a densely populated area, killing an innocent young woman. His actions also put everyone else living and traveling in that neighborhood at risk,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan. “This type of random gun violence cannot be tolerated or used to terrorize neighborhoods. We are steadfast in our commitment to address gun violence and hold accountable those who engage in these dangerous crimes.”
DeJesus is due back in Middlesex Superior Court on Monday for a sentencing hearing.
