Springfield man sentenced to life in prison for 2019 murder
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Springfield man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to a 2019 murder.
Springfield man arrested after gun seized from cross-body bag
The Hampden District Attorney's Office states that on November 3, 2019, at 1:37 a.m., officers were sent to School Street for a report of an unconscious woman bleeding on the sidewalk. When officers arrived, officers found 28-year-old Shanike 'Nikki' Roldan with a gunshot wound to the head. She was taken to Baystate Medical Center, where she died.
Anthony Potito, 56, of Springfield, was identified as the suspect after a witness saw the shooting and recognized him as the person who fired two shots from a sedan. Surveillance footage also shows a vehicle approaching Roland as she walked along School Street with a muzzle flash visible from the driver's side before she collapsed.
Investigators learned that Potito and Roldan had been in an on-again, off-again relationship. Minutes before the shooting, Potito called Roldan seven times in under five minutes, and after she was shot, Potito stopped all communication.
An exchange between the two was recovered on Roldan's phone, where Potito accused her of infidelity and prostitution. He ended the conversation by threatening, 'Well, how about this, I'm going to go home and get my gun and kill you right now if I see you.' Minutes after this exchange, Roldan was shot.
Surveillance and witness interviews revealed that Potito often drove his mother's gray Toyota Avalon, consistent with the vehicle that was seen in surveillance footage. Gunshot residue was also detected inside the car after it was seized by the police.
Potito was arrested later that same day at his home. After a search of the home, two firearms and ammunition were found. One of the firearms, a revolver, contained two discharged .44 caliber cartridges.
On Tuesday, Potito pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree in Hampden Superior Court. He was sentenced to life in state prison with parole eligibility after 23 years.
Potito was also sentenced on the following firearms and related offenses:
Count 2: Carrying a firearm without a license — 18 months in the House of Correction
Counts 3 & 4: Discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling — three months in the House of Correction
Counts 5 & 6: Possession of ammunition without a Firearms Identification Card — two years in the House of Correction
Counts 7 & 8: Possession of a firearm without a Firearms Identification Card — one year in the House of Correction
Counts 9 & 10: Improper storage of a firearm — one year in the House of Correction
Count 11: Receiving stolen property over $1,200 — one year in the House of Correction
Sentences on these counts are concurrent with the life term on Count 1 and with each other.
'This case is a tragic example of how substance use can spiral into unimaginable tragedy. Shanike Roldan was a young woman whose life was taken far too soon. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones as they continue to grieve this loss,' Gulluni said. 'I'd like to thank Assistant District Attorneys Dana Parsons and Travis Lynch, and Victim Witness Advocate Stacy Martel, whose careful attention, compassion, and commitment to every detail were instrumental in guiding this case to resolution. I'd also like to thank the Springfield Police Department for their thorough and dedicated investigation.'
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
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