DA: Brockton man indicted on murder charge for grisly killing of victim with car and brick in 2024
A man was indicted on Tuesday, nearly a year after being accused of fatally striking a pedestrian with his car, then a brick in Brockton.
Vasco Semedo, 46, of Brockton, was indicted by a grand jury in Plymouth County Superior Court on charges of murder, assault with intent to murder, and three counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
Just before 9 a.m. on April 6, 2024, police responding to several 911 calls for a motor vehicle versus pedestrian crash at 65 North Main Street found Semedo being detained by witnesses at the scene, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz.
50-year-old Stuart Smith was found unresponsive near Semedo's Toyota Rav 4. Smith was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, then flown to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators gathered witness testimony as well as surveillance video that allegedly showed Semedo striking Smith with his Toyota, backing up and hitting him again before getting out of the car and repeatedly hitting him with a brick as he lay on the ground.
'He got out of the car. He took a brick off the hood of the car. He went over to where the victim was laying on the ground, and struck him in the head with that brick over 20 times,' Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague said during Semedo's first arraignment back in April. 'Bystanders had to pull him away. He fought back against the bystanders. Several times he tried to get back into his car, but the bystanders would not let him leave the scene.'
Semedo has been held without bail since his first arraignment.
He will be arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court at a later date.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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