Latest news with #Roldan
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
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Life with shot at parole for Springfield man who gunned down mother of his children in 2019
SPRINGFIELD — A life sentence was handed down Tuesday for Anthony Potito, the Springfield man who shot his girlfriend in the face after he became convinced she gave him a sexually transmitted disease. Potito, 56, pleaded guilty to killing Shanike 'Nikki' Roldan, 28, and was sentenced in Hampden Superior Court, Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni announced Wednesday. On the second-degree murder count, Potito got life in state prison, with a chance at parole after 23 years. For the lesser charges — including having a gun without a license and receiving stolen property — Potito received an additional seven years of incarceration, to be served concurrently with the time in prison for murder. '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. On Nov. 3, 2019, at 1:37 a.m., Springfield police were called to School Street, where a woman was unconscious and bleeding on the sidewalk. Responding officers found that Roldan had been shot in the head. She was taken to Baystate Medical Center, where she later died. Police spoke with a witness who identified Potito as the gunman. Surveillance video also had the crime recorded, in which Roldan was shot at twice from the driver's side of a gray Toyota Avalon. That car turned out to be his mother's sedan. Potito and Roldan had been in an on-and-off relationship, the DA's office said, and she was the mother of two of his children. Information retrieved from Potito's phone showed that he accused Roldan of infidelity, as well as prostitution. Rapidfire texts from Potito to Roldan stopped just before the murder. 'Well how about this, I'm going to go home and get my gun and kill you right now if I see you,' Potito's message to Roldan read, according to the DA's office. Shortly after that message was sent, Roldan was gunned down. Potito was arrested later that same day at his home, where they recovered a .44-caliber revolver, that had been fired twice. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City sewer tour hopes to clear the air on sewer rate increase
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The sewage plant tour started with a stark reminder: That the projected cost for the most attractive option sits at half a billion dollars. Right now, it's either replace the plant or replace all the parts in the plant. Bakersfield City Manager, Christian Clegg, said, 'Our intent was to raise awareness with our community we have a serious issue that we have to address, and we still have to address it.' The proposed sewer rate jumps up to 300% going from $239 a year to $950. But, the city cleared the air with a Friday morning media tour at sewage plant two off East Planz Road. WWI veteran's Purple Heart Award presented to family in Kern County Clegg said the city stalled on the plan after getting a ton of blowback from angry residents. 'We could've done better as a city,' said Clegg. 'We could've done better at more public outreach.' Sewage Plant two was built nearly 70 years ago, but Clegg says it was only built to last 30 years. Wastewater manager, Evette Roldan, said, 'If we just had to serve the existing houses now. Okay, let's replace everything like for like maybe, $150 to $200 million.' Roldan said the plant needs new pumps, piping, and plastic media for the wastewater filtration system. The process starts after you flush. Then, the sewage is pumped to the grit chamber to separate the liquids and solids. But, the super scooper called, the 'clam shell' needs to be replaced. Roldan said, 'The electrical is a concern. The track itself that it's on is a concern.' The wastewater is then sent to the clarifyer, and from the clarifyer to the trickling filter, where many of the sprayers aren't working. 'My biggest concern is the media itself. It is passed it's useful life,' said Roldan. Never miss a story: Make your homepage Roldan wants to move to new tech called a MBR (membrane bio reactor) versus the trickling system as the plant faces tough state environmental regulations. Roldan says crews conducted two emergency repairs in her decade at the plant. One in 2018, and one in 2022. The last was an emergency fix to a 60 inch pipe missing 20 feet of the housing from corrosion. 'We really do need to plan for the next 30 plus years. Not just the next five, the next ten,' said Roldan. The city is still discussing options for how to conduct the sewer rate increase, but in six months time your sewer bill will go up. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City officials say sewer rate protest letters must follow state guidelines
City officials are notifying Bakersfield residents that letters protesting a controversial proposal to increase sewer rate must follow certain requirements under state law. Residents are organizing against the proposal but some information circulating in online forums is incorrect, city officials said. They are warning that only protest letters with the appropriate information will be accepted. City officials said they've received a number of emails regarding the rate increase but that state law requires certain steps for official submissions. "It needs to have a wet signature," said Evette Roldan, the city's wastewater manager, referring to a handwritten signature. "You can't have a photocopy, can't email it in, can't be an electronic submission. That sort of thing," Roldan said. "Coming to the council meeting, just speaking at the council meeting doesn't count as a protest." Letters notifying residents of the proposed increase were sent out April 11 under a state law known as Proposition 218 that requires jurisdictions to notify constituents. Under Prop. 218, if a jurisdiction receives protest letters from more than 50% of the impacted residents, the increase can't be enacted. In order to qualify as an official protest, letters must include an original or "wet" signature, the property address, the property parcel number and the name of the property owner. Protests for multiple properties owned by a single person can be included in one letter, but they must include the address and parcel number of each property. Letters do not have to state a reason for the opposition. Address parcel numbers can be found using the Assessor Property Search function on the Kern County Record Assessor's office website at Because letters must be signed in-person by the property owner, letters must either be hand-delivered to the clerk's office or sent by mail. Emailed copies of protest letters, including photos of signed letters, are not acceptable, nor are electronic signatures. Letters may be submitted to the city clerk at Bakersfield City Council meetings. Any such letters must be submitted to the city clerk before the end of the public hearing scheduled for May 28. Bakersfield residents are looking at a more than 300% increase in their sewer rates, raising the annual fee for a single-family home from $239 to $950. The increase is needed to cover what the city says is as much as $600 million in emergency upgrades, including a new treatment plant to replace the city's aging Plant 2 on Planz Road, originally built in 1958. The city council voted to send Prop. 218 notices after long deliberation at their March 26 meeting. The vote was split 3-2 with two members absent. If the city does not receive the requisite number of Prop. 218 protest letters, the proposed increase will still have to pass a vote of the city council. "Right now, it's basically out to vote in the public," Roldan said of the protest process. "If we receive 50% official, majority protests, it basically takes it away from the council. People (will) have spoken and they voted it down," Roldan said. "Absent the majority, it's a council vote." Angered by such a large increase so suddenly, several residents have expressed further frustration that instructions for submitting an official protest aren't clearer. "It doesn't say anything about whether it has to be handwritten or typed or whatnot. And the other thing is, it doesn't have a link to how to find your parcel number," said Johnny Olaguez, a resident who's trying to organize opposition to the increase. An unsuccessful candidate for the Ward 6 council seat last year, Olaguez posted a flier to social media calling on residents to attend the council's Wednesday meeting to give public comment on the increase. Olaguez said he plans to be there with pens and a stack of template letters to help people fill out their protests. "To have me jump through all these hoops to have to oppose this. I'm very knowledgeable and I know computers," Olaguez said. "But when you talk about, you know, grandma who's 80 years old living on fixed income. If you're going to have to go down to Kern County get her parcel number, write a letter, sign it, drop it off. That just seems like a little bit too much work."
