On the evening of March 2, 2019, 23-year-old Jeury Batista of Salem was shot and later died after a confrontation at the Bowdoin Apartments in Malden, Massachusetts. Police say the encounter grew out of a drug transaction: Batista and his girlfriend had arranged to meet two people to sell two pounds of marijuana, and a dispute over price escalated. As Batista’s girlfriend tried to drive away, a shot was fired; the bullet passed through his left forearm and entered his torso. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

Investigators quickly identified 18-year-old Yahia Mastouri of Malden as the alleged shooter and 20-year-old Josue Espada as a person of interest. Both fled the state but were located and arrested at a Los Angeles hotel in May 2019. Mastouri was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, assault with intent to rob, and unlawful possession of a firearm; Espada was charged as an accessory after the fact, and prosecutors said additional charges were expected. If anyone knew Batista, his movements that night, or has information about the meeting at the Bowdoin Apartments, please come forward.