HOLYOKE — Appearing in Holyoke District Court by video on Friday while lying in a hospital bed, Johnluis Sanchez pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder stemming from a gunfight Wednesday that led to the shooting of a pregnant woman and the death of her unborn baby.
Judge Matthew Shea ordered the 30-year-old Holyoke man held without the right to bail.
Sanchez, who is being represented by Springfield attorney Joseph Pacella, is being held without bail because at the time of his arrest, he had another open firearms case against him. He remains hospitalized at Baystate Medical Center.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Green yesterday requested that the case be impounded, a motion that Shea granted at Friday’s hearing; impoundment keeps the documents from public view.
While the District Attorney’s Office lodged a single charge of murder of an unborn child against Sanchez, other charges are expected to follow, according to James Leydon, the spokesman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.
Prosecutors say Sanchez was one of three men who got into a fight near Sargeant and Maple streets around 12:38 p.m. One man produced a gun. Another produced a second firearm.
At least one bullet hit a parked pickup truck. Another went through the window of a nearby church, according to media reports.
A stray bullet also pierced a bus operated by the Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority and struck the pregnant woman inside. The baby died Wednesday after being delivered by doctors trying to save the child’s life. The woman remains in critical condition, the District Attorney’s Office said.
According to Leydon, all involved suspects are believed to have been identified. The one remains at large and is being actively sought by law enforcement.
Sanchez also requested to be held at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction, instead of the Hampden County Correctional Facility. He said he was concerned about his safety once he no longer needed medical care.
His request was granted by the judge.
This incident is under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office and the Holyoke Police Department.
Sanchez is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on Nov. 3.
On Thursday, the first suspect, Alejandro Ramos, 22, was arraigned in Holyoke District Court on a charge of murder in the infant’s death. Ramos appeared before Judge William Rooney, who entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
