Fall River Man Sentenced for Brutal New Bedford Attack

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Fall River man has been sentenced to up to five years in state prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a man and causing serious damage to him in a violent attack outside a New Bedford bar.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Elionei Dejesus Mendes, 23, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court on March 30 to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury.

He was sentenced to serve three to five years in state prison followed by three years of supervised probation.

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Details of the Violent Pleasant Street Attack

The charges date back to August 2, 2025, when New Bedford Police were dispatched to a Pleasant Street bar for a fight outside the establishment. Police arrived to find the victim, identified as Nuno Lima, unconscious on the sidewalk following an attack by Mendes and a co-defendant.

When police approached them, Mendes walked away while an officer took the co-defendant into custody. During that time, Mendes returned to the unconscious Lima and began kicking him in the head repeatedly before running off. Police caught up with Mendes about a block away, observed Lima’s blood on his sneakers and placed him under arrest.

Victim Suffered Brain Bleeds and Seizures

Lima then began having seizures on the sidewalk and was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment. He was diagnosed with multiple brain bleeds, and the D.A.’s Office said he “continues to suffer from injuries related to the attack.”

Witnesses said Mendes kept approaching Lima inside the bar throughout the evening. When Lima and his friends were waiting outside the bar at the end of the night, Mendes and the co-defendant started a physical altercation with one of Lima’s friends. When Lima attempted to intervene, that’s when he was attacked by Mendes and the co-defendant, and they kicked and stomped on him once he was on the ground.

District Attorney Quinn Condemns Brutal Assault

“This is a vicious act of violence that has left the victim significantly impaired and permanently injured. Sadly, the victim did not have the money to go to physical rehabilitation,” Quinn said. “The defendant even kicked the victim in the head with the police at the scene. That shows a disturbed mind and no conscience, and the victim’s life is changed forever.”