A Shot Spotter activation led to the arrest of 20-year-old Jonathan Velazquez of Charlestown by Mattapan officers. Around 8:47 p.m. on Wednesday, members of District B-3 (Mattapan) responded to a call on the 180 block of Stratton Street, where they discovered ballistic evidence and observed damage to a vehicle and an apartment window, according to official reports.
Following the incident, detectives reviewed video surveillance and provided a description of potential suspects. Shortly after the investigation began, members of the Youth Violence Strike Force identified a vehicle that matched the surveillance footage, which was seen in the area just twenty minutes before the gunfire occurred. Officers later observed Velazquez, who is believed to be connected to the earlier incident, leaving an apartment and entering the flagged vehicle at 3 Meadowbank Road.
Law enforcement followed the vehicle and pulled it over on 168 River Street. Upon checking Velazquez's credentials, they discovered that his license had been suspended. After Velazquez was handcuffed, an inventory search of the vehicle revealed a 9mm cartridge. The suspect's vehicle was secured and towed, and a subsequent search of the originating apartment uncovered a loaded thirty-round magazine, according to the police department.
Facing multiple charges, including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, a Large Capacity Feeding Device, and Discharging a Firearm within 500 Feet of a Building, Velazquez is set to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
