Another Defendant Charged with Unrelated Shooting Death in Dorchester

BOSTON, Dec. 31, 2018—The man who allegedly shot 26-year-old Wilfred Peters and 27-year-old Jeffrey Montaque to death earlier this year was arraigned today for their murders after more than five months on the run, Suffolk County District Attorney John P. Pappas said.

NICHOLAS ANTOINE, 20, of Boston’s South End was ordered held without bail in Suffolk Superior Court on indictments charging him with two counts of first-degree murder and firearms offenses for the June 6 incident on Faneuil Street in Brighton.

Assistant District Attorney Julie Higgins of the DA’s Homicide Unit told the court that Antoine was among a small group of people at Peters’ home on the night of June 5 into the morning of June 6. At some point, the evidence suggests, Antoine was asked to leave that small gathering – at which point he allegedly went to his car, retrieved a firearm, and returned. Prosecutors say he opened fire, striking both Peters and Montaque multiple times before fleeing. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Higgins told the court that ballistics evidence suggests only one firearm was used in the shootings. She said Antoine was identified as the gunman through eyewitness statements, video footage, fingerprints, and other evidence. Investigators obtained a district court complaint charging him with the murders, and the Suffolk County Grand Jury indicted him in August, but he was not apprehended until his arrest earlier this month in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Also arraigned today was JOCELYN VASQUEZ, 32, charged in Dorchester Municipal Court with murder for the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Garfield Thomas in his Mattapan home. She, too, was held without bail.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Lee, deputy chief of the DA’s Homicide Unit, told the court that Vasquez shared Thomas’ third-floor apartment Evelyn Street and shot him in the stomach with a handgun after an altercation on the morning of May 15. She allegedly hid the weapon beneath a mattress and fled the scene. Critically wounded, Thomas made his way to the building’s first floor, where he made statements to another resident and to first responders. Among other evidence, investigators recovered Vasquez’ fingerprints from the firearm as well as video evidence showing her leaving the building shortly after the time of the shooting.

Antoine was represented today by attorney Christopher Belezos and will return to court on Jan. 24. Vasquez was represented by attorney Anthony Ellison and will return to court on Feb. 8.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.