Man Who Shot Up New Bedford Neighborhood Sentenced to Prison

NEW BEDFORD - A 25-year-old New Bedford man who opened fire in a residential neighborhood early this year was sentenced to serve seven years in state prison last week, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Jose Osorio pleaded guilty last week in Fall River Superior Court to a multi-count indictment charging him with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of attempted assault and battery by a firearm, two counts of carrying an illegal firearm and two counts of carrying a loaded illegal firearm.

On January 4th at 10:15 am, ShotSpotter alerted New Bedford Police to a shooting at 297 Coffin Avenue. Six shots were fired, apparently in the rear of that address. Bullet holes were found in the door of one of the multi-unit garages and in the siding of the house at 293 Coffin Avenue.  These two addresses share a driveway, which is used to access the garages in the back.

Police found a car near the garages, which had a license plate that was painted over. In plain view, officers saw ammunition on the passenger seat.  No casings were found at the scene, leading police to believe the weapon was a revolver.  Witnesses had heard shots and saw people running out of the driveway towards Coffin Street. Surveillance showed a male attaching the license plate to the car, and then spray painting it. He then sat in the vehicle until he got out armed with a handgun.  Other cameras showed two males walking up the driveway from the street, and the male in the car firing at them.  The two males fled.

After obtaining a search warrant, police recovered seven .357 rounds and an ID for the defendant from the car.  He was later positively identified from surveillance photos.

On January 5 at around 3:30 pm New Bedford Police Gang Unit detectives spotted the defendant on a bicycle.  After a brief chase, police saw the defendant flee into the rear yard behind some buildings on Acushnet Avenue. The defendant tried to climb a fence, but eventually surrendered. He had six .357 rounds in his pocket at the time of his arrest. Police also found a loaded .357 revolver in some leaves near where the defendant was apprehended. The defendant admitted to being involved in the shooting the day before.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Stephen “Chuck” Nadeau and the sentence was handed down by Judge Thomas McGuire.

“This is a defendant with a violent history who continues to commit violent acts that endanger the safety of the citizens of New Bedford and other cities,” said District Attorney Quinn. “He is a danger to the public and he needed to be locked up for a long time.”

-Bristol County District Attorney's Office