POWNAL, VT (WWLP) – A Holyoke man was arrested in Vermont Tuesday for an attempted murder charge in connection to a shooting in Pownal, Vermont in January 2022.
Giovanni Torres, 21, of Holyoke has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder of second degree in Bennington Superior Court and will be held without bail.
According to a Vermont State Police affidavit, State Police were called to an area of Route 7 in Pownal, Vermont around 10:11 p.m. on January 26, 2022 for a report of shots fired. The officers checked the neighborhood and found a home with significant damages including broken windows, damage from bullet strikes, and also found a firearm outside. No one was found inside the home and there were no reports of gunshot victims at the nearby hospital.
On January 27, 2022, a search warrant was obtained for the damaged home and troopers found several spent shell casings from a 9mm and a rifle, a 9mm ghost gun, a DVR for security cameras, and a baseball cap with blood stains on it.
Video files from the home’s security camera showed a silver Ford Truck and a white Kia sedan approaching the home. Muzzle flashes could allegedly be seen outside the home. Following the shooting, several people could be seen leaving the home, including Giovanni Torres and 17-year-old Isaiah Rodriguez of Springfield. Torres is allegedly seen holding a handgun with an extended magazine.
On February 3, 2022, Vermont State Police were called to a homicide investigation in Danby, Vermont where detectives identified the victim as Rodriguez.
Vermont State Police say another suspect in the shooting allegedly went to Baystate Medical Center the next day for an injury to his right pinky finger, claiming it was from a car falling off a jack.
An arrest warrant was issued for Torres on March 15, 2023. The Bennington County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed that Torres turns himself in on Tuesday.