Crime
Victim of Fatal Shooting and Attempted Carjackings on I-190 in Worcester Identified
Suspect Shoots Himself After Chase on Crowded Highway.
On October 2nd, 2024, at about 2:20 PM, Worcester Police officers were dispatched to a Heroult Rd address for a report of a possible gunshot victim.
Upon arrival, officers located a male shooting victim who suffered serious wounds. He was given medical aid and was transported to the hospital by ambulance.
He was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
He has been identified as Echelon Perez.
A short time later, a Massachusetts State Trooper approached a man acting suspiciously. The man brandished a firearm and fired a round.
The Trooper ordered the man to drop the weapon, but he fled.
At about 3:24 PM, Worcester Police were dispatched to I-190 northbound, a short distance from Heroult Rd, for a report of an armed man stopping traffic on the highway and pointing a firearm at motorists.
Worcester Police officers and Massachusetts State Police troopers arrived on scene and pursued the male on foot on the highway.
The male attempted to carjack motorists on the highway.
In response to the imminent threat posed by the male, a Worcester Police officer and a Massachusetts State Trooper discharged their firearms during the incident.
As seen in the footage, numerous officers converged on the scene, closing in on the suspect from different directions.
Toward the end of the pursuit, an exchange of gunfire occurred between the suspect and the police.
The suspect then appeared to have shot himself in the head before officers could apprehend him.
The man was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
At this time, we believe that the man from the I-190 incident is the suspect from the Heroult Rd incident.
There is no current danger to the public.
This incident is currently under investigation by the Worcester Police and State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester District Attorney’s Office. If you have video of the incident or information about it, please call the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.