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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Massachusetts man sentenced to life in prison for 2019 murder of woman
A Springfield man has been sentenced to life in state prison after pleading guilty to the 2019 murder of 28-year-old Shanike 'Nikki' Roldan, the district attorney said Wednesday. Anthony Potito, 56, was sentenced Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Roldan, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said in a statement. He will be eligible for parole after 23 years. Potito was also sentenced on the following counts: 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 Counts 2-11 are concurrent with the life term on Count 1 and with each other, the district attorney said. '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,' Gulluni said. 'I'd also like to thank the Springfield Police Department for their thorough and dedicated investigation.' On November 3, 2019, at approximately 1:37 a.m., Springfield Police responded to School Street for a report of an unconscious woman bleeding on the sidewalk. When officers arrived, they found Roldan suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors said. She was transported to Baystate Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators quickly identified Potito as a suspect after speaking with a witness who saw the shooting and recognized Potito as the man who fired two shots from a sedan. Surveillance footage captured a vehicle approaching the victim as she walked along School Street, with a muzzle flash visible from the driver's side before Roldan collapsed. Detectives learned that Potito and Roldan had been in an on-again, off-again relationship. In the minutes before the shooting, Potito called the victim seven times in under five minutes. After Roldan was shot, communication from Potito stopped. Communication found on Roldan's phone revealed an exchange in which Potito accused the victim of infidelity and prostitution. Prosecutors said 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 later, Roldan was shot. Through surveillance and witness interviews, police determined Potito frequently drove his mother's gray Toyota Avalon, which was consistent with the vehicle seen in surveillance footage. Gunshot residue was detected inside the Avalon after it was seized by police, prosecutors said. Potito was arrested later that day at his home. A search of the home led to the discovery of two operable firearms and ammunition. One of the recovered firearms, a revolver, contained two discharged .44 caliber cartridges. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined the case of Roldan's death to be a gunshot wound to the head and neck and ruled the manner of death a homicide. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Social media plea drives support for Wisconsin's only Black-owned gas station
Sonia Nash and her husband, Marvin, wanted to continue the legacy Diane Stowers created more than 30 years ago. When Stowers opened a BP gas station at 807 E. Atkinson Ave. in Milwaukee's Arlington Heights neighborhood, it was Wisconsin's only Black-owned gas station. It still is — thanks to Nash and her husband. The Milwaukee couple are the station's new owners. But since they took over in November, things haven't been so easy. The volume of customers dwindled, a side effect of the gas station changing hands multiple times. And a temporary closure before the Nashes took over left people wonderingif the business had closed for good. That prompted her husband to make an impassioned plea on Facebook. 'Unfortunately, when times get tough, and unlike our competitors, we don't have the luxury of borrowing money from other gas station owners," the post read. "Therefore, WE NEED your help, Milwaukee! Please patronize us. Please support us. We cannot succeed without you. 'I can't tell anyone where to spend their hard-earned money, but how does the ONLY black and brown-owned gas station in Milwaukee not get the support it needs? I continuously see our people patronize our competitors who are directly across the street." Sonia Nash believes people were unaware the station was back open and under new ownership. 'Once that posted, people started supporting,' she said. 'People do care and do care about Black businesses. I appreciate everybody that came and supported. They are still supporting.' The Nashes are both new to operating a gas station. Sonia Nash is a facilities manager at an office tower on North 27th Street and West Hope Avenue. Her husband spent some 20 years as a correctional officer with the Community Reintegration Center, formerly the House of Correction, before retiring last year as a lieutenant. Boredom led Marvin Nash to get another job at Auer Steel and to venture into owning a gas station. The couple rehired all the station's staff, which Nash said has been a huge help in learning the business and running the gas station. But Sonia Nash said fate might have led them to owning the station. They were approached three times about buying it. They declined the two previous times because they knew little about operating a gas station. But when presented with a third chance, they pondered the possibilities. 'I told my husband, 'Babe, do you think maybe this is a sign?'' Nash said. 'Maybe somebody is telling us you better jump on this, otherwise somebody else is going to get it. ... We wanted to keep it Black- and Brown-owned.' The Nashes have big plans for the business. A barbecue restaurant will open soon in the station's café. The couple plans to host bookbag and gas giveaways to show their appreciation for the community. The effort, Sonia Nash said, is about being part of the community where they spent their earlier years. Her husband, she said, remembers his mom sending him to that same gas station to buy milk and bread. He never imagined owning it one day. 'It's important to us to be in that area, to be in that community,' she said. The customers, she added, are very friendly, especially the regulars who come for the coffee but stay to chat with other customers. 'It is so like family," she said. "It is so nice to have that in the community." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's only Black-owned gas station helped by social media plea
