New Bedford gang member sentenced to life in prison for murder

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III said a 26-year-old gang member was sentenced for second degree murder on Monday.

Ivan Fontanez to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

Fontanez is charged in the shooting death of Brad Lourenco at Roberto Clemente Park on June 5, 2017.

Keeland Rose pled guilty to an accessory to murder charge in 2019 and was sentenced to serve three to six years in state prison.

Prosecutors said Fontanez and Rose got a ride from Temple Landing to Rivet Street, and then walked to the park.

They said Fontanez fired a gun nine times at a group of people, hitting Lourenco in the back of the head, resulting in his death.

The two then took off and ditched clothing items, which were recovered by investigators and used as DNA evidence. The gun used in the murder was also found hidden on the pedestrian bridge nearby.

Fontanez and Rose were arrested shortly after running away from south end gang members and hopping into the back of a pickup truck, which they had hoped would drive them away.

Prosecutors believe it was an act of retaliation stemming from a shooting that happened about a week before, which hurt Fontanez’s half-brother.