Men charged in Brockton restaurant "execution-style murder" held without bail
BROCKTON - Investigators say it was security camera footage that led them to two men accused in a brazen weekend shooting in front of a restaurant full of customers in Brockton. The Plymouth District Attorney's office released the video showing a man walk up to another man sitting in a booth eating at the Hibachi Sushi Supreme Buffet. The video shows the suspect open fire, killing him.
"We thought it was important for people to understand that this was a significant event here in the city of Brockton," said Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz. "You don't see execution style murders here in the city very often."
Relatives of the victim, 22-year-old Joe Araujo, were emotional as they watched two men arraigned Tuesday. Prosecutors say 22-year-old Nathan Veiga planned the shooting, and Jamal Bazile, who's only 18, allegedly pulled the trigger.
Prosecutors said one of them even bragged on social media posts. "The first one says 'I got points. I came up in my rank. I had to catch me one,'" said Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague.
Court papers detail how the suspects were caught on video from 11 nearby businesses and streets.
"I think you're always concerned about people getting hurt, innocent people getting hurt, when you're dealing with different groups of individuals out there who are brandishing firearms and shooting people willy-nilly," said Cruz. "Our responsibility is to try to get these individuals who are doing this sort of activity off the street."
Both suspects entered not guilty pleas and are being held without bail.