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Armed Home Invasion in Pawtucketville Leads to Arrest of Two Lowell Men

LOWELL — An investigation into an armed home invasion in Pawtucketville last month resulted in the arrest of two Lowell men who a witness claims were among the masked suspects who burst into a residence on Lafayette Street, guns blazing.

German Arias, 37, and Jose Roche, 35, are facing multiple charges, including armed home invasion and various firearm offenses. Arias, in particular, faces the most serious charge of armed assault to murder for allegedly firing a handgun at the witness after breaking into the home.

The attorneys representing Arias and Roche maintain that the witness has misidentified the suspects.

“I am extremely confident in my client’s innocence and would not hesitate to take this case to trial tomorrow,” stated Gilbert Nason Jr., Arias’ attorney.

The incident took place around 10 p.m. on December 15th at a residence on 124 Lafayette St. According to a seven-page report filed by a detective with the Lowell Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau, a family of four, including a 45-year-old man, his 36-year-old wife, and her two teenage children, were present at the targeted home during the incident.

The 45-year-old man reported that he noticed four masked individuals approaching the front of his house while monitoring his surveillance cameras. Concerned about a potential break-in, he quickly retrieved a replica airsoft rifle from his bedroom and instructed his wife to call 911.

According to the police report, two of the suspects entered the residence and fired shots upstairs using handguns. The man confronted them from the top of the stairwell, pointing his airsoft rifle and shouting profanities, causing one of the intruders to open fire. After firing several rounds, the suspects fled through the front door, with the witness in pursuit.

The police report reveals that the other two intruders, who had initially approached from the rear of the house, joined the fleeing suspects. All four suspects then ran down Lafayette Street towards Rosemont Street. The witness claimed that the suspect who had previously fired at him inside the house shot at him again during their escape. The witness further stated that he saw the suspects get into a white Ford Escape and a dark gray Lexus or Acura SUV before speeding away. Unfortunately, no surveillance footage captured their getaway.

During the investigation, the witness identified a man known as “Felix,” later identified as Arias, and Roche as two of the four suspects involved in the crime. The witness alleged that Felix was the individual who fired shots at him, while Roche was one of the two intruders who approached the rear of the house. Despite wearing masks, the witness claimed that he recognized Roche.

The detective assigned to the case reviewed the witness’s surveillance footage, which included multiple camera angles capturing the inside and outside of the targeted residence. The footage corroborated the witness’s account of the incident.

Upon further examination, the police discovered three spent shell casings in the front entryway of the home and nine additional casings on Lafayette Street. They also found a 9mm semiautomatic handgun on Lafayette Street, containing one round in the chamber and an inserted 17-round magazine with 11 rounds. Additionally, three bullet holes were found in the walls of the house. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident.

Based on the witness’s information, the police proceeded to a residence on Cedar Street in search of the suspects. There, they located a white Ford Escape, which was subsequently towed as evidence. Meanwhile, Arias is known to drive a dark gray Acura RDX, according to police.

Following their arrest, both Arias and Roche were released from custody after separate 58A dangerousness hearings held in Lowell District Court. These hearings determine if the defendants pose a threat to the community and should be held without bail during the court proceedings.

Highlighting the lack of evidence against their clients, attorneys Nason and Torrisi emphasized the judges’ decision to release them despite the serious nature of the case.

Court documents reveal that Judge John Coffey found Roche to not be a threat to the community and released him on his own recognizance with GPS tracking.

“He vehemently denies any involvement in this incident,” stated Thomas Torrisi, Roche’s attorney. “We are in the early stages of this case, but I am confident that the evidence we possess will ultimately exonerate him.”

Torrisi further argued that the surveillance footage presented during the dangerousness hearing does not sufficiently support the witness’s identification of the suspects.

On the other hand, Arias was deemed dangerous by Judge Zachary Hillman during his hearing. Nason clarified that this determination was a result of an agreement made with the prosecution to allow Arias to remain out of custody while further investigation takes place.

“There is no doubt that a violent home invasion occurred, but I firmly believe that the individuals charged had no involvement in it,” Nason asserted.

According to Nason, Arias was nowhere near the area when the crime took place. He added that the appearance of the suspect captured on surveillance footage, who is alleged to be Arias, does not match his client’s physical features.

As part of his release conditions, Arias was ordered by Judge Hillman to remain under GPS monitoring, including a 24-hour lockdown at his Auburn Street residence.

While Arias faces the charge of armed assault to murder, both Arias and Roche are charged with four counts of home invasion, one for each family member present during the alleged offense. Additionally, they are charged with possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, and possession of a firearm during a felony.

The next court appearance for both men is scheduled for a pretrial conference on February 7th.

At present, no arrests have been made in connection with the other two suspects involved in the armed home invasion.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis

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