A 37-year-old Fall River man who slipped into Espirito Santo Parochial School through a faulty door lock while classes were in session also walked up to a charter high school the same day and rang its doorbell, according to police. Joshua Halladay was eventually charged in connection with the unauthorized entry, and he remains held in custody days later after a separate crowbar confrontation landed him back in legal trouble.
According to WJAR, Halladay entered Espirito Santo School on October 9 without authorization, slipping past a malfunctioning exterior lock while students were in class. Court records cited by the station say Halladay told investigators he was looking for a Portuguese Bible inside the building. He was inside only briefly before a staff member spotted him and escorted him out, police told WJAR.
Fall River Police officers later located Halladay on Saturday after reviewing surveillance footage from the school, determined he was experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and transported him to a local hospital for evaluation before charges were filed, according to the Fall River Reporter. Separately, Boston 25 News reported that Halladay had been escorted out by a faculty member on Friday before the weekend arrest.
A Doorbell Test at Argosy Collegiate
After leaving Espirito Santo, Halladay told investigators he decided to test security at Argosy Collegiate Charter School's high school on Dover Street, per the officer narrative described by WJAR. He checked whether the door was locked and rang the doorbell, saying he wanted to alert staff to what had just happened at Espirito Santo. He did not attempt to enter the building or display threatening behavior, the school's executive director said, and did not try to enter.
Argosy Collegiate leaders told WJAR that their security procedures worked as intended and that staff kept the building secure throughout the encounter. The charter school operates separate middle and high school facilities in Fall River, serving roughly 570 to 580 students in grades 6 through 12, with the high school campus on Dover Street.
Citywide Patrols and a Repaired Lock
Fall River Police Chief J.T. Hoar announced increased patrols around all city schools and notified leadership at Fall River Public Schools, local charter schools, and Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School following the intrusion, the Fall River Reporter reported. Espirito Santo leaders told WJAR that the school's faulty locking mechanism had been repaired since Friday's incident. Coverage of the breach focused on school safety and security. The intruder got in through a malfunctioning exterior lock rather than by defeating any electronic access system.
Espirito Santo, located at 143 Everett Street, was established in 1910 as the first Portuguese Catholic grammar school in the United States and serves roughly 235 to 249 students in grades Pre-K through 8. The Catholic Schools Alliance comprises 17 elementary and high schools.
A Week of Escalating Encounters
The school intrusion was not an isolated event. Court records show Halladay was arrested October 6 after allegedly breaking into a neighbor's apartment because he believed the neighbor was a squatter, and investigators say he moved the neighbor's belongings out of the unit. Then on October 12, he was accused of breaking into a unit below his own apartment and allegedly wielded a crowbar, raising it after a property management employee confronted him, according to court records.
Investigators described a pattern of decline in Halladay's mental health. Court records show he was flagged in 2022 for statements about wanting to blow things up, and his recent social media posts reportedly included references to weapons along with photos of two pellet guns.
Held Without Bail
Halladay reportedly remained in custody as a bail violator as of October 13. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 276 Section 58, a judge can revoke a defendant's bail and hold them without bail for up to 90 days if they are charged with committing a new crime while already released on pre-trial bail, a standard described by the Law Office of John L. Calcagni, III. Separately, unauthorized entry charges under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266 Section 120 carry a statutory penalty of up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $100, or both, according to the statute as explained by the Law Offices of Stephen Neyman, P.C..
The incident is not the first time Fall River schools and police have coordinated closely on safety matters. School administrators instituted employee administrative leave and police notifications in January 2026 in response to a criminal allegation at Carlton Viveiros School, according to the Fall River Reporter, reflecting established coordination between local schools and law enforcement. Fall River Police also conducted over 15,000 database queries using Flock license plate reader cameras in 2025 as part of the city's expanded surveillance efforts, per the New Bedford Light.
