Nora Grace-Flood Photo
Tomas Pedraza and Laura Cano with Chief Jacobson and Mayor Elicker Monday.
City police have arrested a 50-year-old man for allegedly shooting and killing Alexander Pedraza in Fair Haven earlier this year.
Asst. Police Chief Bertram Ettienne shared that news in a Monday morning press conference on the third floor of the city’s Police Department while joined by the homicide victim’s parents and wife.
Ettienne said that police secured an arrest warrant for the suspect in that Jan. 18 killing on April 10 following a review of ballistic evidence and DNA found at the crime scene.
Two days later, the police located the suspect on the New Haven Green and arrested him on charges of murder, criminal possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit. His bond is set at $2 million and he was arraigned in court on April 13.
The late Alexander Pedraza.
Ettienne said the suspect allegedly owed Pedraza money, which spurred the altercation that ultimately left Pedraza dead.
Pedraza, 40, was found wounded between Chapel and James Street on Jan. 18 after having been shot on River Street. He was later transported to Yale New Haven Hospital where he passed away.
Pedraza’s passing marked the fourth homicide of a brutal start to the year. Mayor Justin Elicker said that the arrest announced Monday signified the eighth homicide case to be closed so far in 2023.
Pedraza’s parents, Andrea and Tómas Pedraza, attended Monday’s press conference along with Pedraza’s wife, Laura Cano.
“We were waiting for this day… I just want him to pay for what he did to Alexander,” Cano said of the suspect, “because he left his fiance and family suffering from his absence every single day.” Pedraza has two children aged 18 and 21 who currently live in Puerto Rico.
Standing next to Pedraza’s father, who held a sign reading “Nobody has the right to take someone’s life,” Cano stated: “Rest in peace Alexander. We love you forever.”
Pedraza's family Monday.
Chief of Police Karl Jacobson also offered updates on Monday about three incidents which took place this past Sunday.
Those included two reports of sudden deaths as well as a shooting arrest.
Jacobson said the police found an individual deceased in a vacant building at 173 Frank St. after receiving an anonymous tip. That individual had been reported missing prior to discovery of his body and was known to have a history of substance abuse, according to Jacobson.
Police were also notified early Sunday that the body of a woman had been dropped off at Yale New Haven Hospital overnight. He said the police have found the vehicle which drove the deceased person’s body to 1450 Chapel St., but have not located the driver and the woman’s cause of death remains unknown.
Also on Sunday, two patrol officers received reports of 10 gun shots fired along Exchange Street and Blatchley Avenue. A 17-year-old was caught running away from the scene, charged with wrongful possession of a firearm, and submitted to a juvenile detention facility in Bridgeport.
Flags should be at half-mast as we continue to mourn all the lost lives from violence, especially gun violence.