A teenage resident of Holyoke is facing a murder charge after a shooting incident took place earlier this month. Luis Rodriguez, 19, of Chicopee, is alleged to have taken the life of Dexter Ortiz, 38, also from Holyoke, on the night of July 9, 2024. The incident, which also injured two others, resulted in Rodriguez’s arrest the following day.
According to MassLive, Rodriguez had already been arraigned on motor-vehicle related charges on July 10, 2024, and was held on $1,000 bail, a statement confirmed by Jim Leydon, spokesperson for the Hampden District Attorney’s Office. Rodriguez's bail from that incident has since been revoked due to two separate narcotics charges pending against him.
The violent event has torn yet another family apart, with Ortiz, who was pronounced dead after being transported to Baystate Medical Center, leaving behind six children. Holyoke police found Ortiz after responding to a ShotSpotter activation in the vicinity of the 50 block of West Street.
Western Mass News reported that Rodriguez has been in police custody since the day after the shooting. The upcoming arraignment on the murder charge is set for Monday in Holyoke District Court. The investigation is ongoing, with Holyoke Police, State Police detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s office, and the District Attorney’s murder unit all collaborating on the case.
