Oct. 25, 2016
For Immediate Release
Contact: Paul Jarvey (508) 368-7241
WORCESTER — A 29-year-old Leominster man pleaded guilty today in the 2015 shooting death of a father of two on a Fitchburg street, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
Superior Court Judge Janet Kenton-Walker sentenced Andrew Mathieu to 17 to 19-1/2 years behind bars with 10 years of probation to follow after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, two counts of reckless endangerment of a child, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm without an FID card, two counts of receiving stolen property over $250 and five counts of failure to secure a firearm.
Assistant District Attorney Michael D. McHugh told the court that at about 7 p.m. on May 12, 2015 Mr. Mathieu was on Milk Street in Fitchburg with his girlfriend and then 7-year-old son when Roy Rivera, 24, of 66 Farmount St., Fitchburg, pulled up behind Mr. Mathieu’s vehicle. The two men exchanged words with Mr. Rivera contending that Mr. Mathieu had broken into his mother’s apartment. Mr. Mathieu told police Mr. Rivera struck him in the head with a bottle.
The argument ended when Mr. Mathieu shot Mr. Rivera in the chest.
As Mr. Mathieu sped away, Mr. Rivera drove a short way down Milk Street where he was found slumped over the steering wheel.
Mr. Mathieu was arrested on May 19 following an investigation by Fitchburg Police and the State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office. Stolen rifles and a gold coin were recovered as part of the investigation.
“This was tremendous work by Fitchburg Police and our State Police Detectives,” Mr. Early said. “Our prosecution team of Mike McHugh and ADA Anthony Melia did a great job of putting the case together.”