http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150417/NEWS03/150419187/1006/news03
Affidavit: Dispute over car led to shooting
A black Nissan that 64-year-old Ira Cohen leased for his much younger girlfriend - a stripper he met at a motorcycle club party two years ago - was at the heart of Thursday’s shooting on Hanover Street, according to court documents.
Cohen, of 1265 Bodwell Road, No. 3, was arraigned Friday in 9th Circuit Court-Manchester District Division on five felony charges, including two counts of first-degree assault. He is accused of shooting Mason Pereira, 24, of 63 Malverne St., Apt. 3, twice in the torso with a Ruger .357.
Cohen is also accused of threatening to shoot Pereira’s brother, Joseph Pereira, and faces two counts of reckless conduct for allegedly striking Joseph Pereira twice with the car. Mason Pereira underwent surgery Thursday at Elliot Hospital, and police said there is concern his injuries will leave him paralyzed. When officers reached him Thursday, he kept saying he could not feel his legs, according to court papers.
Relatives have said in Facebook posts that one of the bullets struck his kidney, liver and spinal cord.
What allegedly happened Thursday morning is detailed in a sworn statement by Detective Patrick Houghton.
Cohen, who spoke at length with detectives, said he met Amanda Pacheco, 25, about two years ago when she was working as a stripper at a motorcycle club party.
Cohen said they began a romantic relationship, and he estimated he spent $250,000 on her. He said he rented multiple apartments, under his name, for her to live in and two years ago leased a Nissan for her to use. Cohen said Pacheco's credit was not good enough for her to purchase a vehicle on her own.
Pacheco confirmed she had a relationship with Cohen, and told police she made the monthly payment on the car. But she also is the girlfriend of shooting victim Mason Pereira.
Cohen said he and Pacheco have "falling-out periods" where he gets upset with her and tries to take back the car. During one of those periods, Cohen said he tried to take the car back but Mason Pereira assaulted him. Finally, Cohen had "had enough" and wanted the car back.
A neighbor of his at Tall Pines condominiums on Bodwell Road, who asked that her name not be published, said Cohen told residents he was going to get the Nissan back when Pacheco went to a scheduled doctor’s appointment.
"I am really mad at him," she said of Cohen, whom she described as a nice, kind man. "Why did he take a gun with him?"
Everyone in the building who knows him is in shock, she said.
About 5 a.m. on Thursday, Cohen got a ride to the methadone clinic on Valley Street, where he waited for Pacheco and Mason Pereira to arrive. He brought his Ruger .357 with him, but he told police he could not say why he did. Once Pacheco and Mason Pereira went inside the clinic, Cohen got into the Nissan and started to drive off.
He didn’t know that Pereira’s brother, Joseph, saw the black Nissan, which he referred to as his brother’s car, outside the clinic shortly before 7 a.m. and stopped to talk to his brother and Pacheco.
As Cohen started to drive off in the Nissan, squealing the tires, Joseph Pereira, whom Cohen didn’t know, allegedly stood in front of the car, "slamming on the hood" and telling the driver to stop.
Pereira said the driver drove forward and struck him, causing him to back up, but he again got in front of the vehicle and slammed on the hood. The driver again drove into him and eventually went around him and out of the parking lot.
As that happened, Mason Pereira ran out of the clinic yelling, "He's stealing my car" and chased after it.
The brothers got into Joseph's truck and chased the Nissan, catching up to it when it stopped for a red light at Hanover and Beech streets. Mason Pereira got out of the truck and into the passenger seat of the Nissan. The two men argued as Cohen continued to drive on Hanover Street until he stopped for traffic at Maple Street.
Joseph Pereira got out of the truck and opened the drivers’ side door of the Nissan, intending to pull Cohen out of the car. Cohen, however, got out on his own and ran to the rear of the Nissan, where he and Mason Pereira began to fight.
As Joseph Pereira was about 5 feet from them, he said Cohen allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband and fired two shots at Mason Pereira, who fell to the ground.
Cohen then allegedly pointed the gun at Joseph Pereira and said he would shoot him, too.
Joseph Pereira ran to his truck. Cohen started back towards Mason Pereira as he lay on the ground, but Joseph Pereira yelled for him to leave, that police were on their way. Cohen backed away and Joseph Pereira went to his brother, rendering aid until police and EMTs arrived.
Police said Cohen told essentially the same story. But he said when he got out of the car, Mason Pereira began getting in his face, forcing him back and away from the car. Pereira hit him in the face, he said.
Detectives noted some red abrasions under both of his eyes, which they believed were caused by Mason Pereira.
Cohen said he felt like he was being beaten up and that, rather than flee, seek help from bystanders or fight, he drew his firearm, pointed it at Mason Pereira and shot him twice.
Cohen admitted pointing his gun at the "big guy" who had slammed his hand on the car outside the methadone clinic and who had opened the car door on Hanover Street. Cohen said he then retreated to the sidewalk, where police took him into custody.
As Cohen was driving away in the car, police said Pacheco said she called him, urging him to return it. He refused, she said. She said she heard a commotion and lost contact with him.
She called him back, however, police said, and he allegedly told her, "I just shot your boyfriend. It’s all you fault. Now I’m going to jail."
Affidavit: Dispute over car led to shooting
A black Nissan that 64-year-old Ira Cohen leased for his much younger girlfriend - a stripper he met at a motorcycle club party two years ago - was at the heart of Thursday’s shooting on Hanover Street, according to court documents.
Cohen, of 1265 Bodwell Road, No. 3, was arraigned Friday in 9th Circuit Court-Manchester District Division on five felony charges, including two counts of first-degree assault. He is accused of shooting Mason Pereira, 24, of 63 Malverne St., Apt. 3, twice in the torso with a Ruger .357.
Cohen is also accused of threatening to shoot Pereira’s brother, Joseph Pereira, and faces two counts of reckless conduct for allegedly striking Joseph Pereira twice with the car. Mason Pereira underwent surgery Thursday at Elliot Hospital, and police said there is concern his injuries will leave him paralyzed. When officers reached him Thursday, he kept saying he could not feel his legs, according to court papers.
Relatives have said in Facebook posts that one of the bullets struck his kidney, liver and spinal cord.
What allegedly happened Thursday morning is detailed in a sworn statement by Detective Patrick Houghton.
Cohen, who spoke at length with detectives, said he met Amanda Pacheco, 25, about two years ago when she was working as a stripper at a motorcycle club party.
Cohen said they began a romantic relationship, and he estimated he spent $250,000 on her. He said he rented multiple apartments, under his name, for her to live in and two years ago leased a Nissan for her to use. Cohen said Pacheco's credit was not good enough for her to purchase a vehicle on her own.
Pacheco confirmed she had a relationship with Cohen, and told police she made the monthly payment on the car. But she also is the girlfriend of shooting victim Mason Pereira.
Cohen said he and Pacheco have "falling-out periods" where he gets upset with her and tries to take back the car. During one of those periods, Cohen said he tried to take the car back but Mason Pereira assaulted him. Finally, Cohen had "had enough" and wanted the car back.
A neighbor of his at Tall Pines condominiums on Bodwell Road, who asked that her name not be published, said Cohen told residents he was going to get the Nissan back when Pacheco went to a scheduled doctor’s appointment.
"I am really mad at him," she said of Cohen, whom she described as a nice, kind man. "Why did he take a gun with him?"
Everyone in the building who knows him is in shock, she said.
About 5 a.m. on Thursday, Cohen got a ride to the methadone clinic on Valley Street, where he waited for Pacheco and Mason Pereira to arrive. He brought his Ruger .357 with him, but he told police he could not say why he did. Once Pacheco and Mason Pereira went inside the clinic, Cohen got into the Nissan and started to drive off.
He didn’t know that Pereira’s brother, Joseph, saw the black Nissan, which he referred to as his brother’s car, outside the clinic shortly before 7 a.m. and stopped to talk to his brother and Pacheco.
As Cohen started to drive off in the Nissan, squealing the tires, Joseph Pereira, whom Cohen didn’t know, allegedly stood in front of the car, "slamming on the hood" and telling the driver to stop.
Pereira said the driver drove forward and struck him, causing him to back up, but he again got in front of the vehicle and slammed on the hood. The driver again drove into him and eventually went around him and out of the parking lot.
As that happened, Mason Pereira ran out of the clinic yelling, "He's stealing my car" and chased after it.
The brothers got into Joseph's truck and chased the Nissan, catching up to it when it stopped for a red light at Hanover and Beech streets. Mason Pereira got out of the truck and into the passenger seat of the Nissan. The two men argued as Cohen continued to drive on Hanover Street until he stopped for traffic at Maple Street.
Joseph Pereira got out of the truck and opened the drivers’ side door of the Nissan, intending to pull Cohen out of the car. Cohen, however, got out on his own and ran to the rear of the Nissan, where he and Mason Pereira began to fight.
As Joseph Pereira was about 5 feet from them, he said Cohen allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband and fired two shots at Mason Pereira, who fell to the ground.
Cohen then allegedly pointed the gun at Joseph Pereira and said he would shoot him, too.
Joseph Pereira ran to his truck. Cohen started back towards Mason Pereira as he lay on the ground, but Joseph Pereira yelled for him to leave, that police were on their way. Cohen backed away and Joseph Pereira went to his brother, rendering aid until police and EMTs arrived.
Police said Cohen told essentially the same story. But he said when he got out of the car, Mason Pereira began getting in his face, forcing him back and away from the car. Pereira hit him in the face, he said.
Detectives noted some red abrasions under both of his eyes, which they believed were caused by Mason Pereira.
Cohen said he felt like he was being beaten up and that, rather than flee, seek help from bystanders or fight, he drew his firearm, pointed it at Mason Pereira and shot him twice.
Cohen admitted pointing his gun at the "big guy" who had slammed his hand on the car outside the methadone clinic and who had opened the car door on Hanover Street. Cohen said he then retreated to the sidewalk, where police took him into custody.
As Cohen was driving away in the car, police said Pacheco said she called him, urging him to return it. He refused, she said. She said she heard a commotion and lost contact with him.
She called him back, however, police said, and he allegedly told her, "I just shot your boyfriend. It’s all you fault. Now I’m going to jail."
