A Providence man has been found guilty in Providence County Superior Court for shooting and seriously injuring 42-year-old Junior Rafael Pena Soto following an altercation at an Elmwood Avenue restaurant in Providence. On July 2, 2024, after an 11-day jury trial before Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause, the jury found Alex “Bemba” Perez (age 42) guilty of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of discharging a firearm resulting in permanent incapacity, one count of carrying a firearm without a license, and one count of possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime of violence.
The defendant is known to be a member of the Trinitarios street gang and is currently being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) pending his sentencing hearing.
“Criminals previously convicted of violent crime are barred from owning weapons in Rhode Island, and this case is a perfect example of why,” said Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. “Because a gun was readily available to this defendant, a career criminal, Junior Rafael Pena Soto nearly lost his life. I am grateful for the jury’s verdict here, which will certainly result in a well-deserved sentence for the defendant. And I want to thank the Providence Police, as well as the prosecutors from my office, for their outstanding work.”
During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that on February 27, 2021, Perez shot Junior Rafael Pena Soto at Montecristo Bar & Restaurant on Elmwood Avenue following an altercation between the two men.
The incident began when Perez first visited the establishment at 5:20 p.m., asking the owner for money. When refused, he told the owner he would return later in the evening to collect. Later that evening, while the restaurant was hosting a birthday celebration for one of its regular customers, Perez returned and again asked the restaurant manager for money. When the manager walked away from him, Perez followed. The victim intervened by pushing Perez who then pulled out a gun from his waistband and fired into Pena Soto's abdomen before fleeing.
Investigators identified Perez as the shooter through video surveillance footage and stills and subsequently took him into custody.
“Gun violence will not be tolerated in our community and individuals who continue to engage in crimes involving a firearm will be held accountable,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez Jr. “I believe that justice has been served in this case, and I am thankful to our detectives and the Attorney General’s Office for their hard work on this case.”
Special Assistant Attorneys General Alison Bittl and David Bonzagni of the Office of the Attorney General along with Detective David Harrington and BCI Detectives Anthony Doucette and James Clift of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution.