Mattapoisett Man Sentenced to Life for 2020 New Bedford Shooting Rampage

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — The Mattapoisett man who shot and killed one man, seriously injured another, and then opened fire on police officers on the day after Thanksgiving in 2020 has been sentenced to up to life in state prison.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Jon Zell, 23, was convicted Wednesday, November 19 of first degree murder after a jury trial in Fall River Superior Court.

Zell was also found guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, three counts of assault to murder, firearms charges, and larceny from a building.

Zell was sentenced to serve 50 years to life in state prison. Because he was 18 at the time of the murder, he was sentenced as a Mattis defendant, which allows for parole.

New Bedford Shooting Timeline

The charges date back to November 27, 2020. Zell had shown up early that morning at the New Bedford home of a former friend without being invited and was asked to leave. At 10:21 a.m., he walked to the area of 12 Lafrance Court in New Bedford with a loaded 9mm Glock firearm he had stolen from his father’s Mattapoisett bedroom the night before.

READ MORE: The Events Leading Up to Jon Zell's Shooting Rampage in New Bedford

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Victims and Immediate Aftermath

Zell opened fire on two men he did not know that were working on a car in that area. Angel Cruz, 40, was shot and killed by a single gunshot. The other man, Wilfredo Balestier, 32, was shot seven times. Balestier attempted to drive away from the scene but got into a rollover crash at the corner of County and Linden Streets. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with life-threatening injuries but was able to survive.

Police Confrontation & Arrest

New Bedford Police were dispatched to the shooting and identified a suspect from a neighbor’s cell phone video showing him leaving the scene. At about 11:09 a.m., officers located Zell at the intersection of Penniman and Reynolds Streets. When they approached him and ordered him to show his hands, Zell took the gun out of his waistband and began firing multiple rounds at the two officers, who were not injured.

Once he ran out of ammunition, Zell dropped the gun to the ground and taken into custody. He was later ordered held without bail and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Trial Defense vs Commonwealth Rebuttal

At his trial, Zell put forth a defense claiming he lacked criminal responsibility at the time of the shootings, and had an expert witness testify to that.

“The Commonwealth rebutted that defense with testimony of a licensed forensic psychologist from Bridgewater State Hospital, who testified that the defendant was a malingerer, had an antisocial personality disorder which does not qualify as a mental illness, and was criminally responsible for his actions on November 27, 2020,” the D.A.’s Office said.

D.A. Quinn's Statement on the Conviction

"I am very pleased that the jury rejected the defendant’s claim of lack of criminal responsibility for the violent murder and assaults on the victims, including two police officers,” D.A. Quinn said. “Despite a history of mental health issues, the evidence established that the defendant was purposeful in his conduct that led to a violent rampage in broad daylight. The life sentence with parole eligibility of 50 years imposed by the court is appropriate.”