Man Charged In Deaths Of Mother, Ex-Girlfriend
Bodies Found In New Bedford Apartment On Tuesday
POSTED: 10:28 pm EST January 6, 2009
UPDATED: 5:53 am EST January 8, 2009
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NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- The deaths of two women found in a New Bedford home on Tuesday have been ruled homicides.
Man Charged In Deaths Of Mother, Ex-GirlfriendGary Gomes, 35, of New Bedford, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping. He was ordered held without bail and sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.An odor of natural gas led to the discovery of the bodies of Gomes' mother, Catherine, 61, and his former girlfriend, Robyn Mendes, 48, in an apartment at 24 Independent St. The landlord sent his adult son to an upstairs unit of the multi-family house at about noon on Tuesday. The man discovered the bodies and called 911.Prosecutors said Gomes stabbed the women before trying to blow up the building and holding captive his ex-girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter."(Mendes) was stabbed, found lying in a bed with bedclothes pulled up to her neck with blood scrawled above her head on a wall in red was 'I (heart) you.' Gary Gomes' identification card was found on the pillow above Ms. Mendes' head," prosecutor Aaron Scrojny said.Gomes was arrested late Tuesday night after police found him barricaded in Mendes' home with her daughter on Philip Street. The child is now in the custody of relatives.Gomes has a lengthy record, including convictions for kidnapping and attempted murder. He had recently been released after serving time on a 2006 conviction of assault with intent to murder Mendes."I am certainly saddened by the turn of events over this past weekend. It was tragic. I wish we had a different outcome. But I am not going to finger-point," said New Bedford Police Chief Ronald Teachman.
Man Charged In Deaths Of Mother, Ex-GirlfriendGary Gomes, 35, of New Bedford, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping. He was ordered held without bail and sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.An odor of natural gas led to the discovery of the bodies of Gomes' mother, Catherine, 61, and his former girlfriend, Robyn Mendes, 48, in an apartment at 24 Independent St. The landlord sent his adult son to an upstairs unit of the multi-family house at about noon on Tuesday. The man discovered the bodies and called 911.Prosecutors said Gomes stabbed the women before trying to blow up the building and holding captive his ex-girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter."(Mendes) was stabbed, found lying in a bed with bedclothes pulled up to her neck with blood scrawled above her head on a wall in red was 'I (heart) you.' Gary Gomes' identification card was found on the pillow above Ms. Mendes' head," prosecutor Aaron Scrojny said.Gomes was arrested late Tuesday night after police found him barricaded in Mendes' home with her daughter on Philip Street. The child is now in the custody of relatives.Gomes has a lengthy record, including convictions for kidnapping and attempted murder. He had recently been released after serving time on a 2006 conviction of assault with intent to murder Mendes."I am certainly saddened by the turn of events over this past weekend. It was tragic. I wish we had a different outcome. But I am not going to finger-point," said New Bedford Police Chief Ronald Teachman. Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
