FITCHBURG — A New Jersey man is being held without bail following the fatal shooting of his stepfather early Sunday morning in a Fitchburg driveway.
Jonathan A. Reyes-Contreras, 42, of Clifton, New Jersey, was arraigned Monday, Aug. 4, in Fitchburg District Court on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, carrying a firearm without a license, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.
Authorities say the shooting took place shortly after midnight on Aug. 3 outside a home at 96 Mechanic Street. According to Fitchburg police, Reyes-Contreras was seated in the front passenger seat of a 2017 Honda Ridgeline in the driveway when he retrieved a handgun from the center console — placed there earlier by the driver — and manipulated it while his stepfather, Luis Mejia, stood just outside the vehicle’s driver-side window while he spoke with Marcelino Reyes, who was in the driver’s seat.
The gun discharged, striking Mejia in the left rib area. He was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead just after 1 a.m.
In a statement of facts included in court documents, Officer Brandon Bento wrote that Reyes-Contreras told police, “I just grabbed the gun,” and said multiple times, “I shot him by accident.”
At arraignment, Judge Christopher P. LoConto entered a not guilty plea on Reyes-Contreras’ behalf. Both the defense and prosecution agreed the defendant should be held pending a dangerousness hearing, which is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 7.
Kevin Larson, Reyes-Contreras’ attorney, told the court the shooting was accidental and that his client had already admitted to his actions.
