Border Street Murder Suspect Arraigned, Alleged Getaway Driver Indicted

The man whom police believe is responsible for East Boston’s only homicide this year, was arrested in New Hampshire last week and later arraigned on murder charges last week in Suffolk Superior Court.

According to District Attorney Daniel Conley Jeremy Menedez, 29, was extradited from New Hampshire following his arrest last week by Boston Police. At a hearing in East Boston Municipal Court last week Judge John McDonald, Jr. ordered him held without bail.

The Boston Police Fugitive Unit in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service and Nashua Police Department, found Menedez, 29, of Nashua New Hampshire and took him into custody without incident.

Menedez was wanted in connection with the shooting death of 29-year-old Taquise Johnson whose body was found in the open-air garage below Shore Plaza on Border Street.

Just before midnight on Friday June 1 officers from District A-7 responded to a 911 call for shots fired in the area of 800 Border St. (Shore Plaza). Police located an adult male victim, who has since been identified as Johnson, of Boston, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Assistant District Attorney David Bradley of the DA’s Homicide Unit told the court that the victim, defendant, and others were hanging out in the area of 800 Border St. in East Boston on the night of June 1. The evidence suggests that Johnson and Menendez walked to a darkened area shortly before midnight and that Menendez shot Johnson multiple times during that encounter. Bradley said a second firearm, which had not been fired, was found near Johnson on the ground.

Menendez fled the scene and entered a car, Bradley said.

Prosecutors say that car was driven by Kavara Rivera, 23, of Chelsea, who allegedly lied to the Boston Police homicide detectives investigating Johnson’s murder. The Suffolk County Grand Jury returned indictments on July 12 charging her with being an accessory after the fact to murder and lying to investigators under the state’s witness intimidation statute. Her bail was set at $5,000.

In 2007 the Boston Police Fugitive & Apprehension Unit, Homicide Unit, United States Marshals, and State Police apprehended a Taquise Johnson, who was 18 at the time, and another man in connection with the May 15, 2007 shooting death of Cordeiro Andrade and injury of a female in Mattapan. Johnson and Jovan Adams were tried separately for the murder with Adams receiving a life sentence.

The Boston Police Department continues to actively review the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation in an anonymous manner.

If you find yourself in need of emotional support or needing to talk to someone about distressing events in your community, the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team (NTT) provides free, private support 24/7 at (617) 431-0125 or by visiting BPHC.org/trauma.

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