A disabled man in a wheelchair was shot twice in Springfield's South End. Police continue to look for the shooter.
SPRINGFIELD — Police continue to hunt for suspects in two high-profile crimes, including a man wanted in connection with the city's most recent homicide and another man suspected of shooting a victim in a wheelchair in the city's South End.
Police have already taken two teenagers into custody in connection with the Nov. 10 death of 34-year-old William Serrano, who was fatally shot on Grenada Terrace in the city's Forest Park section. But they're still looking for the suspected gunman, 25-year-old Julio B. Leiva, who reportedly splits his time between Springfield and Framingham.
Julio Leiva is wanted by Springfield police in connection with the shooting death of William Serrano. A Framingham police lieutenant said he's aware of the homicide case, but he had no comment about Leiva, whose last known address was an apartment at 104 Lawrence St. in Framingham.
Leiva was taken into police custody less than two weeks before Serrano's death, according to Springfield police records. The records indicate he was arrested Oct. 28 on an outstanding warrant in the vicinity of Pasadena Street, just a couple of blocks from the Grenada Terrace murder scene. Details of that case were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, detectives have arrested 19-year-old Amadi Sosa and his 16-year-old brother in connection with Serrano's slaying, Springfield's 17th homicide this year. Both teens were held without bail after pleading not guilty Thursday in Springfield District Court to murder and other charges.
Serrano was shot multiple times on the porch of his girlfriend's Grenada Terrace home. He died later in the hospital. Authorities say robbery was the motive in the apparent gang-related shooting.
Gunfire erupted at the corner of Main and Loring streets in the city's South End on Sunday morning, shortly before parishioners headed for Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on nearby William Street.
A disabled man in a wheelchair was shot twice but was expected to survive, according to police, who swarmed the neighborhood in search of the gunman. The suspect was described as a 5-foot-8-inch Hispanic man wearing dark pants and a hooded sweatshirt.
The incident provoked a strong reaction from Mayor Domenic Sarno, who has made combating crime a priority throughout his tenure, but particularly since this year's spike in murders.
"Rest assured they were not churchgoing individuals and, as always, there's more to it than what meets the eye in this situation," Sarno told 22News. "The police will continue to investigate and hunt down the individual and bring him to swift justice."
State police K-9 and helicopter units assisted with Sunday's search for the gunman, who remains at large.
Police have asked anyone with information about these crimes to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Framingham police can be reached at (508) 872-1212.