Local News

Suspects indicted in shooting that killed pregnant woman’s baby in Holyoke

Alejandro Ramos, 22, John Luis Sanchez, 30, and Kermith Alvarez, 28, all of Holyoke, will be tried for the murder of the infant.

Police tape crosses the street at a scene where multiple people were shot.
Police tape crosses the street at a scene where multiple people were shot, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Holyoke, Mass. AP Photo/Steven Senne

By Dialynn Dwyer

The three suspects in an October shooting that claimed the life of a baby delivered after a pregnant mother was struck by gunfire in Holyoke were indicted on murder charges by a grand jury on Wednesday. 

Alejandro Ramos, 22, John Luis Sanchez, 30,  and Kermith Alvarez, 28, all of Holyoke, will be tried for the murder of the infant in Hampden Superior Court, according to the Hampden County District Attorney’s office. The grand jury also indicted Jose Galarza, 31, and Jay Marie Rosado-Rosario, 29, also both of Holyoke, on the charge of accessory after the fact for their alleged efforts to assist Alvarez after the deadly shooting.

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Prosecutors allege that Ramos, Sanchez, and Alvarez were involved in an altercation on Oct. 4 when the shooting occurred around 12:38 p.m. in the 100 block of Sargeant Street. One of the rounds hit a public bus, striking a pregnant passenger inside. The woman was taken to a local hospital in critical condition where her baby, who needed life-saving medical services, was delivered and died.

The woman who was shot told MassLive she could see the men fighting from the bus when the shooting started. She was 8 months pregnant with her child, Ezekiel Ramón García, at the time.

Sanchez was also shot during the altercation and was hospitalized. He and Ramos were arraigned on murder charges in the days immediately following the shooting. Alvarez was arrested and arraigned in November.

The shooting remains under investigation, according to the DA’s office.