Three arrested after Haverhill police surveil group near memorial site, recover loaded guns, Glock switch

HAVERHILL — On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Haverhill Police Detective Joshua Boisvert who was assigned to the department’s Narcotics Unit, was on patrol wearing plain clothes and operating an unmarked police cruiser.

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Statement of Facts of Detective Joshua Boisvert and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)

At approximately 6:20 p.m., Detective Boisvert said that both he and Detective David Steed observed a gray Acura TSK with New Hampshire plates turn from Pecker Street onto May Street and park at the corner of How and May streets.

“The vehicle is registered to Nicholas Tilden,” Detective Boisvert said.

According to police, Nicholas F. Tilden, 17, is a resident of Atkinson, New Hampshire.

The detectives drove by the vehicle and saw Victor Deaza, 20, of Manchester, New Hampshire, seated in the right rear passenger seat, while Tilden was operating the vehicle.

“Deaza is a known associate of the Gangster Disciples (GD),” Detective Boisvert said. “Deaza also goes by the name ‘27Stompa’ on social media.”

Detective Boisvert said that Deaza had recently made a social media post calling for Evan Carlisle to be “freed.”

“Carlisle was recently arrested in a gang-involved shooting in the area of 55 Welcome Street,” Detective Boisvert explained. “Deaza also frequently posts on social media while carrying firearms. It should be noted that the corner of How Street and May Street is a memorial site for Carlos Rivera.”

Detective Boisvert said that, with this information, he and Detective Steed set up surveillance of the area and notified Detective Timothy Campbell, who responded to assist.

The detectives then observed three males exit the Acura and proceed to the utility pole with the How Street sign affixed to it. They were later identified as Victor Deaza, Jediah Leonce, and Jayden Morales.

According to police, Jediah E. Leonce, 17, is a resident of Haverhill, MA, and Jayden A. Morales, 21, is a resident of Manchester, New Hampshire.

Detective Boisvert noted that Deaza was wearing a gray and black sweatshirt with gray sweatpants, Leonce was wearing a black jacket and gray sweatpants, and Morales was wearing a black sweatshirt and black jeans.

“Deaza appeared to take a photo of the street sign,” Detective Boisvert said. “Deaza had his left arm deliberately pinned to his waistband as if he were securing something. It is common for people who are illegally carrying a firearm without a holster to pin the firearm to their body to prevent it from shifting or falling out.”

Detective Boisvert said that it was later discovered that the photo Deaza took of the street sign was posted to Instagram.

“The three males then returned to the grassy area closer to the car,” Detective Boisvert said.

Detective Boisvert said Haverhill police detectives had recently become aware of a social media account called “sg.trigger,” which posted a historical photo of Evan Carlisle at the Carlos Rivera memorial site at the intersection of How and May streets on April 18, 2026. The post’s caption included the word “free” with a blood-drop emoji next to it, according to Detective Boisvert.

“At this time, I believed the male wearing a black jacket and gray sweatpants was in fact ‘sg.trigger,’ who was later identified during booking as Jediah Leonce,” Detective Boisvert said. “Upon Leonce exiting the vehicle, he was deliberately pinning his left arm to his waistband as if he was securing something. At one point, Leonce bent over and reached to the ground, all without removing his left arm from his waistband.”

There were several instances where Detective Boisvert said Morales was observed pinning his left arm to his waistband as well.

“Tilden then exited the driver’s seat of the vehicle and appeared to be recording the other three individuals,” Detective Boisvert said. “It should be noted that Tilden, Leonce, and Deaza are all under 21 years of age and not eligible for a Massachusetts License to Carry (LTC). Morales is 21 years of age; however, he does not possess a Massachusetts LTC. Due to our observations, Detective Steed and I activated our emergency lights and made contact with all four parties with our badges and duty-issued firearms conspicuously displayed. We ordered all four parties to remove their hands from their pockets. Leonce initially complied before fleeing on foot down Welcome Street.”

Detective Boisvert said Tilden remained with his vehicle until officers gave chase. Tilden then fled in his vehicle down Welcome Street toward Emerson Street.

“Deaza and Morales fled up Welcome Street toward Main Street,” Detective Boisvert said. “Detective Steed pursued these parties up Welcome Street on foot. I pursued Leonce on foot down Welcome Street through the parking lot of 41 Welcome Street, and into the parking lot of 55 Welcome Street. I continuously yelled ‘police’ and advised Leonce to ‘stop.’”

Leonce then ran back to Welcome Street and cut through the driveway of 89 Emerson Street, which Detective Boisvert said is accessed via Welcome Street.

At around this time, Officer Samuel Powell arrived on scene to assist.

“I was able to grab hold of Leonce on the sidewalk of 89 Emerson Street,” Detective Boisvert said. “At this point, I observed the grip of a handgun protruding from the left pocket of his jacket. To prevent Leonce from grabbing the firearm, I bearhugged him from behind and forced him to the ground.”

Detective Boisvert then saw Tilden’s vehicle cross Emerson Street and continue down Orchard Street toward Locust Street. After this observation, Detective Boisvert said he removed the firearm from Leonce’s left jacket pocket and secured it on his person.

“I notified dispatch that I had recovered a firearm, and Detective Steed advised dispatch that all suspects were believed to be armed and dangerous,” Detective Boisvert said.

Officer Powell then placed Leonce in handcuffs. Leonce was then searched incident to arrest and escorted to the rear of a cruiser.

“The firearm was later made safe and transferred into an evidence bag,” Detective Boisvert said. “The firearm, a Smith and Wesson MP Shield (.40 cal) (Serial # DXC2417), was loaded with one round in the chamber. I ejected the magazine from the magazine port. The magazine is labelled and allowed to hold 14 rounds of ammunition, which classifies it as a high-capacity magazine.”

A BOLO (Be on the Lookout) was then issued for Deaza and Tilden’s vehicle, the latter of which was located shortly thereafter traveling down Essex Street toward Lafayette Square.

“Officer [Tomanik] Falcon activated his emergency lights and sirens and conducted a motor vehicle stop of the gray Acura TSX bearing NH REG [# redacted] in front of 1 Washington Square,” Detective Boisvert said.

Tilden, who was the vehicle’s sole occupant, was ordered out of the vehicle and detained, as he was believed to be armed and dangerous, Detective Boisvert said.

“The vehicle was searched, and a loaded .45 caliber magazine was located on the passenger floorboard,” Detective Boisvert said. Detective Boisvert said that the magazine, which was labelled, was allowed to hold 13 rounds of ammunition, which classifies it as a high-capacity magazine.

“In the back pocket of the front passenger seat was a pistol light attachment,” Detective Boisvert said. “At this time, it was determined that all our parties, if located, would be placed under arrest for unlicensed possession of ammunition and possession of a high-capacity feeding device. Officer Connolly remained on scene until the vehicle was towed.”

The vehicle was later seized and towed by One Ten Towing to a secure area at the Haverhill Police Department.

“Shortly thereafter, Detective Campbell advised that he had located Deaza on foot at 83 Cedar Street,” Detective Boisvert said. “Deaza was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Haverhill Police Department for booking.”

Detective Campbell also responded to the Emmaus House where he requested surveillance footage of the incident.

“Albert Hanscom later texted me a copy of the video footage to my department-issued cell phone,” Detective Boisvert said. Adding, “The video provided by Hanscom corroborated these detectives’ observations mentioned above. There was also video footage from the Welcome Street side and the rear parking lot side of me in a foot pursuit of Leonce in the rear parking lots of 41 and 55 Welcome Street before apprehending him in front of 89 Emerson Street. The video footage was burned to a disc and logged into evidence. Detective Campbell reviewed the video footage and was able to positively identify Jayden Morales as the suspect Detective Steed pursued.”

Detective Boisvert said he then reviewed the city camera footage of Tilden’s path of travel after he fled police in his vehicle.

“At 6:23 p.m., Tilden crosses Emerson [Street], proceeds down Orchard Street, and takes a right-hand turn onto Locust Street. He then takes a right-hand turn onto Winter Street and a left-hand turn on to Franklin Street, where he goes out of camera view for several minutes before re-emerging at Primrose Street and Winter Street at 6:27 p.m.,” Detective Boisvert said. “Tilden then proceeded down Winter Street to Lafayette Street, where he took a left-hand turn onto Essex Street to Washington Street, where Officer Falcon observed him traveling and initiated a motor vehicle stop at 1 Washington Square at 6:29 p.m.”

Detective Boisvert added that city camera footage showed Deaza walking up Vine Street at 6:28 p.m. before crossing White Street and continuing down Cedar Street, where Detective Campbell stopped him at 83 Cedar Street at 6:33 p.m.

“The Essex County Sheriff’s Department responded and conducted a track of where Detective Steed pursued Morales,” Detective Boisvert said. “A black Glock 21 gen4 (.45 cal) (Serial # [redacted]) with a round loaded in the chamber, as well as a loose round, was recovered in the wooded area, behind 40 Welcome Street. It should be noted that this is consistent with the same caliber of ammunition that was located inside Tilden’s vehicle.”

In addition, Detective Boisvert said dispatch received an anonymous call reporting that a male threw what was believed to be a firearm into a dumpster.

“Sergeant Glen Fogarty spoke with the caller over the phone, who did not wish to provide their name,” Detective Boisvert said. “The anonymous caller stated they observed a male (Deaza) fleeing on foot toward Winter Street. The anonymous caller stated that just before the stop sign, there was a parking lot to the left, and there was a dumpster that was surrounded by a fence. The anonymous caller stated that she observed a male with curly hair throw a firearm in the dumpster. Detective Sergeant was to see a tan handgun inside the dumpster.”

Sergeant Fogarty then contacted an individual named Holly Avair who received permission from her operational director, Katrina Jackson, to sign a Haverhill Police Department consent search form, which authorized the Haverhill Police Department to search the dumpster.

“In the dumpster, on top of cardboard was a tan Glock 19x (9mm) (Serial # CGUA063) with a rail-mounted light attachment, an extended magazine, and a Glock machine gun ‘switch,’” Detective Boisvert said. “A ‘switch’ is a part that, when attached to a firearm, allows the automatic discharge of more than one shot by one continuous trigger activation or that increases the rate of fire to mimic automatic fire. The firearm was seized and later logged into evidence at the Haverhill Police Department.”

Detective Boisvert said that after identifying Morales as the fourth suspect, detectives went to his apartment at 505 West Lowell Avenue in an attempt to locate him, but learned he no longer lived at that address.

“Tilden and Leonce were booked by Officer Falcon and [Ryan] McCartney and then transported to a secured juvenile holding facility in Framingham, MA,” Detective Boisvert said. “Deaza was booked by Detective Steed and Campbell and then placed into cell M2 for bail review. A 51A was filed with DCF [Massachusetts Department of Children & Families] on behalf of Leonce and a 51A was filed on behalf of Tilden with New Hampshire DCYF [Division for Children, Youth and Families].” (A 51A form is a mandatory report that professionals in Massachusetts, who work with children, must file with the DCF when they suspect that a child is being abused, neglected, or both).

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Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in April, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.

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