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Xavier DeJesus, of Lowell, was convicted earlier this week of second-degree murder and four firearm charges, including carrying a firearm without a license, possessing ammunition without an FID card, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said.
Deija Mendez, 23, of Boston, went to Lowell on June 23, 2020, to buy a used BMW from DeJesus' then-girlfriend, investigators said. An argument broke out over the vehicle, and DeJesus left the home, got a gun, and fired twice. A bullet hit Mendez in the forehead as she sat in a rented Chevy Tahoe outside the apartment.
“In this case, the defendant fired a gun at 3:30 in the afternoon in a densely populated area killing an innocent young woman," Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. "His actions also put all others who live and travel in that neighborhood at risk. This type of random gun violence cannot be tolerated, nor can it be, used to terrorize neighborhoods. We are resolute in our commitment to addressing gun violence and to hold accountable those who engage in these dangerous crimes."
DeJesus ran away after the killing and spent five weeks evading police before he was captured in Fall River as one of the state's most wanted fugitives. He's been held without bail ever since his capture.
A judge will sentence DeJesus on Monday, Aug. 7.
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