A 28-year-old New Bedford man who robbed and stabbed an acquaintance of his two years ago, and then helped assault a fellow inmate while being held in jail, was sentenced last Friday in Fall River Superior Court to serve four to five years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

 

Roberto Soler pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with Armed Robbery and two counts of Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon-Causing Serious Bodily Injury.

 

On January 27, 2021, New Bedford Police responded to St. Luke’s Hospital for the report of a stabbing victim, who drove himself to the hospital.  

 

The victim later told police he was stabbed in the shoulder by the defendant while in his apartment.  The stabbing severed an artery in the victim’s arm. When he arrived at the hospital, he was bleeding profusely and collapsed.  Emergency surgery was performed to save his life. 

 

When police arrived at the victim’s apartment, it was apparent that that scene had been cleaned with bleach.  Bloody towels were later found in a trash can. 

 

During the course of the investigation, police learned the victim had apparently taken a small amount of marijuana from the defendant on a pervious date, which led to the robbery and stabbing.  The defendant stole around $400 from the victim before stabbing him in the shoulder.

 

On August 2, 2022, while in custody on this case, the defendant and another inmate ganged up on a third inmate to assault him.  During the incident, this defendant’s compatriot stabbed the victim, while this defendant assaulted him with his fists. 

 

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jason Mohan and Matthew Sylvia, and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.

 

“The defendant engaged in a serious act of senseless violence by stabbing the victim.  The incident was apparently related to drugs and money,” District Attorney Quinn said. “While awaiting trial he participated in another violent assault in jail.  The defendant is a violent individual and needed to be kept off the street.”