SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Three Springfield men and one Chicopee man were sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after being convicted of first degree murder.
Luis Cotto, Keith Cotto, Isaiah Fraticelli and Victor Espinosa were convicted of first degree murder, possession of a firearm and possession of a loaded firearm. For the first degree murder charge, each suspect has been sentenced to life without parole.
On Sunday, November 3, 2019, State Police were informed of a shooting on I-91 North in Springfield where the victim was not expected to live. The shooting was witnessed by an on duty State Police Trooper that was on patrol.
The victim was later identified as Gabriel Irzarry of Holyoke. He was shot from another vehicle when he was driving on I-91 around 1:00 a.m. His vehicle was mistaken by the suspects as belonging to someone else they were trying to target.
State Police chased the suspects’ car, which eventually crashed into a guardrail when exiting I-391 in Chicopee. Fraticelli and Luis Cotto were arrested after attempting to run away on foot. Keith Cotto was taken into custody the following day after seeking treatment for injuries he suffered in his attempt to get away. An arrest warrant was issued for Espinosa on November 8 and he was arrested at a home on Southern Drive in Chicopee.
“Gabriel Irizarry’s family has suffered an immense and senseless tragedy, which can never be healed. I am appreciative of all the tireless work by investigators and my prosecutors in bringing a some justice to Mr. Irizarry’s family. I thank the detectives from the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to my office along with Assistant District Attorney Katharine Johnston, for their work on this case in order to achieve a just verdict,” said District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.