HOLYOKE — Another city man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the shooting of Jesus Otero Marrero, who was found dead by police Jan. 10 on South Bridge Street.
Brian Vazquez-Rivera, 29, was arrested in Bronx, New York, on Friday and returned to Holyoke Wednesday after waiving his right to an extradition hearing, according to a statement released by the Hampden district attorney’s office.
Vazquez-Rivera will be arraigned Thursday in Holyoke District Court, the statement said.
Vazquez-Rivera is the second person charged with murder in connection with Marrero’s death. Jean Carlos Rivera, 30, of Holyoke has pleaded not guilty to murder and is currently being held without the right to bail. Rivera’s next court date is Feb. 14.
Another city man, Merkin Andrade, 30, was charged with misleading a police investigation and being an accessory to murder, and his bail was set at $100,000 on the latter charge. His next court date is Feb. 13.
Holyoke police along with Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office apprehended Vazquez-Rivera with the help of the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service and the New York City Police Department, the statement said.
Authorities responded to the area of 605 S. Bridge St. on the morning of Jan. 10 where Marrero was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds. Police say Marrero was killed sometime on Jan. 9.
A day after Marrero’s body was found, another man, Racquese Wright, 21, of Springfield, died after being shot multiple times near 133 Sargeant St. His death is being investigated as a homicide.
Police also responded to four other reported shootings in the city from Jan. 9 to Jan. 14 that left two others with gunshot injuries.
Holyoke Police Chief Manuel “Manny” Febo has said that Marrero’s death “might have been prevented” if a federal judge gave Rivera a longer sentence after he pleaded guilty in November to a drug charge. Febo described Marrero’s death as a gang-land’ slaying” and said that Rivera is a “validated ‘La Familia’ street gang member.”
Michael Connors can be reached at mconnors@gazettenet.com.