Patrick Mendoza, North End restaurant owner wanted in shooting, held without bail
BOSTON - Patrick Mendoza, the restaurant owner wanted in a shooting in the North End earlier this month, is being held without bail after he was arrested earlier on Friday.
Mendoza, 54, had evaded Boston Police since July 12 when they say he shot at someone outside of Modern Pastry on Hanover Street in the North End. No one was hurt, but a bullet hit a window in the bakery.
Mendoza was arrested in Falmouth at Gosnold Treatment Center, a substance abuse treatment center.
"Gosnold Treatment Center was legally prohibited to disclose that Patrick Mendoza was a patient in its care in accordance with federal regulations. Gosnold is grateful that this situation was resolved without incident," said a spokesperson in a statement.
Mendoza didn't show his face in court during the proceedings. He pleaded not guilty to several charges and is due back in court next week on a pretrial detention hearing.
According to court documents, the man who was shot at said he was waiting outside the shop for his daughter to finish work when Mendoza rode up on a bicycle and started swearing and yelling at him. The man said he's known Mendoza for about 20 years and there's an ongoing feud going on between them.
"Apparently, words were exchanged, he says something, he says, 'I'm gonna fix you' or something in that refrain and he pulled out a gun and he shot him and he ducked under the car and then the guy ran." Modern Pastry owner Nick Picariello told WBZ-TV last week.
Mendoza is facing several charges, including assault to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and witness intimidation. Prosecutors also said Mendoza was on probation, which was set to expire July 12, the day of the shooting. He was on probation after being convicted of attacking the same victim from outside Modern Pastry and had been told to stay away from him.
Mendoza's North End restaurant, Monica's Trattoria, was open the entire time he was a fugitive from justice. This week, the restaurant wanted its liquor license transferred over to the manager currently running it.
But, the city of Boston's licensing board has threatened to pull that license because Mendoza had been on the run.
"This is really unprecedented. We do have precedence on transfers of manager records and approving such. But it's unprecedented that when called upon, a manager of record is unavailable for a week, is evading the law and is accused of some serious crimes," board chairwoman Kathleen Joyce said at a hearing Thursday.
Mendoza's attorney William Ferullo has until the end of the day Friday to file an application to transfer the liquor license at the restaurant. Then it's up to the licensing board to decide if Monica's Trattoria gets to stay open.
The Mendoza family owns multiple businesses in the North End.