By Tiffany Williams –
On September 4th, two individuals, Romanni Nettles, 23, from Everett, and Princess Garcia, 18, from Lynn, were apprehended in connection with a shooting incident in Roxbury. The Boston Police Department received a ShotSpotter activation at 41 Walnut Park around 10 p.m. on that day. Although no one sustained injuries from the shooting, the authorities discovered numerous spent shell casings at different locations, including 37 Walnut Park, 51 Walnut Park, and 60 Walnut Park.
During the response to the ShotSpotter activation, the Boston Police encountered a gray Nissan Altima driving at a high speed. They attempted to pull over the vehicle, which briefly stopped before speeding away. The vehicle, bearing a New York license plate, was eventually intercepted on Columbia Road. Upon inspection, it was found to contain three occupants, all of whom were subsequently arrested. Princess Garcia was identified as the driver of the vehicle, and a .380-caliber handgun with a defaced serial number and six live rounds in the magazine was recovered from her possession.
One of the passengers in the back seat was Romanni Nettles, and another individual occupied the front passenger seat. Following the apprehension, all three individuals were taken to a Boston Police district station in Roxbury for further investigation. Gunshot residue testing revealed the presence of residue on Nettles’s pants, leading to the seizure of all of Nettles’s clothing by the officers.
Surveillance footage from the area depicted an individual in a silver or gray vehicle firing a firearm while hanging out of the back driver’s side rear window. The person was seen with an object in hand, resembling a firearm, at the location where the six shell casings were recovered. Notably, Nettles was the sole occupant in the back seat when the vehicle was intercepted by the authorities.
Furthermore, surveillance video from 72 Walnut Park captured the gray vehicle fleeing toward Walnut Avenue. Subsequently, officers witnessed the same vehicle running a red light on Walnut Avenue at Townsend Street. Additional surveillance footage from a nearby laundromat showed the vehicle making a turn from Washington St. onto Walnut Park. Notably, the driver, Garcia, was identified in the surveillance video by her attire, as she was seen wearing a bright red garment on her upper body, which matched the red hoodie she was wearing when pulled over by the authorities.
Nettles has been charged with multiple offenses, including carrying a firearm without a license, carrying ammunition without a license, carrying a loaded firearm, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling. On the other hand, Garcia faces charges related to carrying a firearm without a license, carrying ammunition without a license, carrying a loaded firearm, possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number, leaving the scene after causing property damage, reckless operation of a vehicle, failing to stop for police, and acting as an accessory after the fact. Following the judicial proceedings, Judge Lisa Grant set bail at $750 for Garcia and imposed a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., along with a directive to stay out of Roxbury.