R.I. teen is charged in burning body case
Victim shot, dumped in Mass.
A 17-year-old Rhode Island boy told cops he shot his mother’s boyfriend to death after the couple got into a fight at their Cranston, R.I., home, police said.
The man’s body was found smoldering along the side of a road in Attleboro, police said.
The boy — whose name was not released due to his age — has been charged in Rhode Island with first degree murder, use of a firearm while committing a crime of violence, as well as compounding or concealing a felony. He is being held at the Rhode Island Training School.
His mother, Melonie Perez, 35, was charged with compounding or concealing a felony, failure to report a death to police, as well as vandalism.
Samantha Rastella, 18, of Cranston, R.I., was charged with compounding a felony, and failure to report a death.
Perez and Rastella were arraigned in Third District Court yesterday afternoon. Perez was released on $10,000 personal recognizance, while Rastella was released on personal recognizance.
“I want to thank and commend the investigators and prosecutors from multiple agencies from Rhode Island and Massachusetts who worked closely with our department on this investigation,” Cranston, R.I., police chief, Col. Michael J. Winquist, said.
Attleboro cops found the victim, Valdez Loiseau, 24, along the treeline about 3 a.m. Tuesday morning.
“The body was smoldering as it appeared it had been set on fire and self-extinguished,” police said. “A preliminary examination of the victim revealed the victim had also been shot.”
Cops tracked Loiseau’s last address to the Cranston home where Perez lived with her son. Detectives interviewed the teen, who said he shot Loiseau inside the home as a result of an altercation.
Police added: “The 17-year-old male stated that he and his mother then transported Loiseau’s body to Attleboro where he placed it in a wooded area and set it on fire.”