HOLYOKE — Two suspects accused in the fatal shooting of 42-year-old Easthampton resident Caleb Rodriguez nearly two weeks ago are being held without bail following their arraignments on murder charges.
Melquiades Cabrera, 36 and Melissa Rosado, 39, both from Holyoke, were arrested on May 7 and arraigned in Holyoke District Court the same day. On May 6, Holyoke Police responded to a ShotSpotter-detected gunshot at the intersection of Suffolk and Elm streets to find Rodriguez suffering from a gunshot wound in his car, according to District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.
Gulluni, in a written statement released Friday, May 15, said Holyoke Police joined investigators from the Hampden District Attorney’s State Police Detective Unit, Hampden County Narcotics Task Force, Strategic Action and Focused Enforcement Unit to surveil the area of Franklin and Maple streets, the last area the defendants were observed on camera after the shooting.
“At approximately 3:40 p.m., investigators observed the defendants traveling on foot to the area of Bristol Place and Commercial Street, where they were detained without incident,” Gulluni wrote.
A preliminary investigation indicates the victim was seated inside his vehicle when an altercation occurred involving the defendants. Evidence gathered during the investigation, including witness statements and surveillance footage, indicates the incident may have stemmed from an attempted robbery, according to Gulluni.
Rodriguez was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center on May 6 after responding officers gained access to the vehicle and attempted life-saving measures while awaiting an ambulance transport.
Cabrera is expected to return to court for a pretrial conference on June 8, and Rosado is expected back in court on June 9.
The case continues to be investigated by the Hampden District Attorney’s State Police Detective Unit, Murder Unit, and the Holyoke Police Department.
