CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (WJAR) — A Central Falls man has once again been convicted in the fatal 2020 shooting of 22-year-old Joel Rosario following a retrial, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced.
A jury found 26-year-old Jairo Esdel Galva guilty of:
Second-degree murder
Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death
Committing a drive-by shooting
Carrying a firearm without a license
The conviction follows a 2024 decision by the Rhode Island Supreme Court to vacate Galva’s original 2022 life sentence, citing errors in jury instructions and a judge’s decision to exclude critical witness testimony.
“This case is another tragic example of a petty argument that turned deadly because the defendant chose to settle a score with a gun,” said Neronha. “I hope this verdict provides some measure of peace for Joel’s family and friends.”
According to prosecutors, the shooting occurred on October 31, 2020, after an argument escalated between occupants of two vehicles on Lonsdale Avenue in Pawtucket. Witnesses testified that Galva fired a shot into Rosario’s vehicle, striking him in the chest. Rosario later died at Miriam Hospital.
Galva is currently being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) and is scheduled for sentencing on April 21, 2025.
