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April 29, 2008

Update: Central Falls orders curfew for those under 18

Journal photo / Bob Thayer
A passerby with a baby stops to look at a memorial at the corner of Dexter and Darling streets in Central Falls to Edelmiro Roman, 16, who was shot and killed Sunday night at the location.

CENTRAL FALLS -- After fear spead in this city following two teenagers' deaths in separate weekend shootings, the mayor today ordered a curfew, effective immediately, banning anyone under 18 from being on the streets after 9 p.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Some 300 people attended a community meeting this afternoon about what's happened. They included parents, police and community officials. Parents were urged to be vigilant, keep children indoors and watch who they're hanging out with.

Police have released the name of the second of two teenage boys who were killed in the separate shootings in Central Falls over the weekend.

Police Chief Joseph Moran said 16-year-old Edelmiro Roman, a Central Falls High School student, was found shot and unarmed at the corner of Dexter and Darling Streets on Sunday night. No suspects have been named.

Moran has said that Roman's death may be retaliation for a shooting Saturday afternoon that left 19-year-old Helder Tomar, of Harvey Street in Pawtucket, dead in Jenks Park.

Anthony Strobert, 19, of Pacific Street -- who was also shot during Saturday's incident -- has been charged with Tomar’s slaying.

Fears of another retaliatory shooting led to students being released from Central Falls High School yesterday afternoon under the watch of local police. Dozens of parents took their children out of school early.

Many students stayed out of school today, according to Angelo Garcia, the executive director of Channel One, despite administrators' assurance that school is the safest place for kids to be.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer Tatiana Pina

Parents have been calling Channel One, a youth services center, saying they were afraid to let their children out of their sight. But Garcia said he's tried to convince them that the safest place the children can be is at the school.

Bryan Ramos, 16, said he was a friend of Roman's. He remembered the teenager as the calm, quiet type who kept to himself and was interested in business. The two had finance class together.

"He didn't really talk a lot unless you knew him," Ramos said.

Ramos didn't put much stock into the idea that his friend was shot as part of an ongoing dispute.

"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," the teenager said of Roman. "He wasn't involved in any of that type of stuff."

Channel One's Garcia said he is taking this recent rash of violence in Central Falls personally.

"People say 'Don't go to Central Falls,'" he explained, "But I'm a Central Falls guy, and it's hard to hear that ... we've never been a violent community."

Posted by Mike McKinney at 7:10 PM | Permalink

April 29, 2008

Update: Central Falls orders curfew for those under 18

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