New Bedford Man Who Stabbed Former Roommate Sentenced to Prison

NEW BEDFORD — A 35-year-old New Bedford man who stabbed his former roommate, causing serious injury to the victim, was sentenced to serve eight to 12 years in state prison last week in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

David Figueroa pleaded guilty to  a multi-count indictment, charging him with assault and battery on a person over 60, breaking and entering during the day time, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon-causing substantial injury, intimidation of a witness, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery.

On July 11, 2015 at 3:19pm New Bedford Police received a 911 call from the 63-year-old stabbing victim.  The victim told the 911 dispatcher that he had been stabbed by his former roommate multiple times and needed help immediately.  The victim was found by first responders lying on his living room floor on Alva Street, covered in blood. The victim was bleeding from his neck, with multiple stab wounds and facial injuries. The victim was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment of stab wounds to his left side, right side and back side of neck.  He also suffered from defensive stab wounds to his hand, a broken orbital bone, a broken nose and a fracture to right cheek.  The victim spent a week in the hospital after the violent attack.

Police spoke to the victim at the hospital, where he told them the defendant opened & entered through the back slider door, and demanded money the defendant claimed the victim owed him. During the investigation, police learned the defendant has lost a lawsuit against the victim for rent money he claimed was owed to him. When the victim refused to give the defendant any money, the defendant pushed the victim over a recliner and began to punch him repeatedly in face. The defendant then went to the kitchen, armed himself with a steak knife & repeatedly stabbed the victim in the neck area.

The defendant was located two weeks later and arrested. During the pendency of the case, the defendant raised an alibi defense. He claimed he was at Bridgewater State University at the time of crime taking a tour of the campus with his girlfriend, her daughter and her daughter’s friend.

After about two years, the alibi witnesses told investigators the truth about the events of the day in question. The witnesses told police that on the way to Bridgewater, the defendant told them to stop in the area of the victim’s home. After watching him enter the victim’s home through the back door, the witnesses told police that the defendant re-entered the car within a few minutes with blood on his hands and clothes. He told the witnesses to drive off and told them that, if asked, they are going to tell police that he was with them the entire day.

During the interview with police, the defendant’s girlfriend also told police of a past unreported incident of domestic violence. She told police he choked and punched her, after accusing her of looking at the man next door.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Veenstra and the state prison sentence was handed down by Judge Karen Green. Judge Green also placed the defendant on probation for an additional 18 months.

“This is unconscionable violence inflicted upon a 63-year-old man,” District Attorney Quinn said. “This is a very dangerous defendant who needed to be removed from society.”

-Bristol County District Attorney's Office