Latest news with #BrownJr.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Springfield man sentenced to prison for shooting cook after sandwich dispute at Holyoke bar
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A man from Springfield was sentenced to prison for the 2022 shooting of a cook at a Holyoke bar. In December 2022, officers were called to a shooting at the Unicorn Bar on High Street around 8:45 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found 39-year-old Benito Agron, a cook at the bar, had been shot several times. Charges dropped against South Hadley driver in connection with deadly hit-and-run crash in Chicopee In a news release sent to 22News from the Hampden District Attorney's Office, security footage inside the bar revealed that the suspect, 37-year-old John Brown Jr. of Springfield, was sitting at the bar talking with Agron and later received a sandwich from Agron. A verbal interaction ensued when Brown Jr. saw bacon in his sandwich. This turned into a physical fight, and as it was broken up, the DA's office says, 'Brown Jr. yelled at Agron that if he was at the bar when he returned, he would kill him.' Approximately 30 to 40 minutes later, Brown Jr. returned to the bar and shot Agron with a handgun four times. Several witnesses identified the suspect as Brown Jr., and DNA evidence was recovered from Brown Jr.'s sunglasses, which were left at the bar during the fight. In January 2023, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Brown Jr. on the following charges: Murder, Attempted Firearm, Discharge within 500 ft. of a building Firearm in Felony, Possess A&B with Firearm Firearm, Carry without a License Ammunition without FID Card, Possess A week later, Brown Jr. was escorted into the Holyoke District Court by his father. During his trial, a Hampden County jury found him guilty of armed assault with intent to murder. On April 29th, he was sentenced to 18 to 20 years for armed assault with intent to murder, and three to five years for illegal possession of a firearm to be served after the first penalty. 'The defendant's actions were vicious and needless – an act of unadulterated violence over a disagreement about a sandwich. The victim still suffers debilitating injuries from the attack, but the fact that he survived is nothing short of a miracle. I want to thank Assistant District Attorney Tom Prendergast and Victim Witness Advocate Stacy Martel for their work on this case, as well as our law enforcement partners in Holyoke for their thorough investigation, which helped ensure justice was served,' said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Houston Co. man beat woman with hammer, tried to set her on fire, investigators say
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — A Houston County man is behind bars after investigators say he sexually assaulted, beat, and tried to set a woman on fire before getting in a standoff with deputies. On Friday, Houston County deputies rushed to the 700 block of WG Bond Road after receiving a call about a domestic assault. According to the Houston County Sheriff's Office, when deputies arrived, they found a victim near a wood line from her home, and the suspect in the assault, Franklin Brown Jr., was inside the house. The Houston County Special Response Team and negotiators arrived on the scene and attempted to make contact with Brown Jr., who did not respond. Deputies say that after a multi-hour standoff, Brown Jr. surrendered and was taken to the Houston County Jail. Sgt. Brandon Barnes with the Houston County Sheriff's Office said that after an investigation, it was discovered Brown Jr. had forced himself on her 'to receive a sexual act' and then beat the woman multiple times with his fist and a hammer. In a release to WDHN, Barnes revealed Brown Jr. then placed a pillow case over her head, tied her up using an extension cord, and poured Clorox on her body before attempting to set her on fire. The woman was able to free herself and ran from the home. She then called 911. Brown Jr. was charged with kidnapping in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, domestic violence, and assault in the second degree. Brown Jr. is being held in the Houston County Jail with no bond pending an Aniah's Law Heaing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
