RI Man Gets Life In Prison For Murder With Illegal Gun

CENTRAL FALLS, RI — A Central Falls man was sentenced to life in prison this month after prosecutors proved he killed a man in 2020, following a roadside confrontation in Pawtucket, Attorney General Peter Neronha said Tuesday.

Jairo Esdel Galva, 23, was found guilty of second-degree murder, discharge of a firearm when committing a crime of violence resulting in death, discharge of a firearm from a motor vehicle and carrying a pistol without a license.

The shooting happened on Halloween, 2020, when Galva killed Joel Rosario, following a roadside fight at the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and Mineral Spring Avenue in Pawtucket.

That evening, Rosario celebrated his 22nd birthday with a group of friends and family at a home in Central Falls. Later, Rosario and several friends drove toward Providence to attend another party. While Rosario and his friends drove on Lonsdale Avenue in multiple vehicles, Galva followed closely behind them in his Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Witnesses at the trial testified that Galva flashed his Jeep’s high beams several times while he drove behind the group.

When the vehicles reached the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and Mineral Spring Avenue, Rosario got out of the car and walked to the front passenger side window of Galva's Jeep to confront him. At that time, the Galva rolled down his window and shot at Rosario’s chest with a .38 caliber revolver.

Friends rushed Rosario to Miriam Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"Urban violence is far too often driven by a toxic mix of readily available illegal firearms and those who are all too eager to use them to settle senseless disputes," Neronha said. "Together with our law enforcement partners, we are targeting those who illegally provide firearms to criminals and the criminals who use such firearms to threaten and inflict harm on Rhode Island residents. Nothing will bring Mr. Rosario back to his family, but it is my hope that the long sentence imposed by the court will bring them a measure of closure and conviction that justice has been achieved."

On November 4, 2020, the defendant turned himself in to Pawtucket Police.