By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
A Massachusetts woman celebrating her recent 19th birthday was killed and a Rhode Island woman was seriously wounded in an early Sunday shooting, police believe the women were innocent bystanders, and that two men believed to be gang members were the intended targets.
“Two o’clock in the morning and I just heard the gunshots,” said a woman who lives on Detroit Avenue who did not want to reveal her name.
“There was a lady down there with two gunshots in her,” she said, pointing to the ground beside the stairs to her home on the street, which parallels the southbound lanes of Interstate 95.
Police said Berta Maria Perreira-Roldan. 19 of Revere, Massachusetts died at Rhode Island Hospital, and Crystal Peloquin, 38 of North Providence was seriously wounded. She was awaiting a second surgery as of Monday morning, said Providence Police Detective Commander Major David Lapatin. He said police were working around the clock on the case.
“We have some leads we’re going on. This is a tragic weekend for our city, and we’re going to work hard to solve this crime,” Lapatin said.
Police said the two women had been in separate groups that had left two adjacent nightclubs around the corner of Detroit Ave. and Broad Street, when shots were fired at both groups, who were several houses apart.
“People often use that street (Detroit Avenue) to park at the nightclub, because there’s a very small parking lot in the rear, that’s why people were on that street at that time,” said Detective Captain Timothy O’Hara.
“They did not know each other. Each group had no relationship with each other,” O’Hara said.
The two men believed to be targets of the gunfire were unhurt. They have spoken with investigating officers.
“These people who were victims were not bothering anybody,” said Maj. Lapatin. “They were just outside talking, and this is what happens.” He urged club-goers to leave when their night is through.
“We want people… nightclubs close, get in your car and go home. Don’t hang around the outside of those clubs,” Lapatin said. He added that no action was contemplated against the clubs, and that the shootings did not appear to result from anything that happened inside the night spots.
Police asked that anyone with information about the shootings should call Detective Michael at (401) 243-6302.
