State officials granted parole to a convicted killer who shot an 18-year-old on a basketball court in Lawrence during a confrontation.
Alberto Cardoza was found guilty of second-degree murder on March 15, 2010, for the death of 18-year-old Jose Ramos, Jr., according to the Massachusetts Parole Board. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
On that same day, Cardoza received a concurrent four- to five-year sentence for possession of a firearm without a license.
Cardoza appeared for a parole board hearing without legal representation on July 2, 2025. He first went before the board in 2022.
Officials granted him parole to a long-term residential program after a nine-month total step-down to lower security.
“The Board finds that Mr. Cardoza would benefit from a period in lower security, where he should remain disciplinary report free,” reads the parole board’s decision from Jan. 6. “The Board considered Mr. Cardoza’s age at the time of the offense, and he stated his remorse for his actions.”
What happened in Lawrence?
The killing took place on the evening of Aug. 15, 2007. Ramos and a friend went to a park in Lawrence to play basketball, according to officials.
There was a game underway, so Ramos and his friend sat on a bench courtside to wait their turn. A group of young men, including Cardoza, had a brief argument with Ramos and his friend as the group was leaving the park, officials said.
When the argument ended, the group of young men told Ramos that they would “be back.”
Concerned by what he heard, Ramos and his friend grabbed a miniature baseball bat from the trunk of their car, which Ramos held when they returned to the bench.
A few minutes later, Cardoza and his group of young men returned to the basketball court, stopped the game, and challenged Ramos and his friend to a fight.
The group told Ramos to drop the bat, but he refused.
One member of Cardoza’s group took out a .22 caliber revolver and waved it threateningly, while the rest of the group encouraged him to shoot Ramos, officials said.
Cardoza, who had been telling Ramos to drop the bat and fight one-on-one, then grabbed the revolver and fired several shots, officials said. One shot struck Ramos above the eye, killing the young man.
What the parole board said about its decision
After Cardoza’s initial hearing in 2022, the parole board noted that he completed barber training and correctional recovery academy, as well as attending Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous.
He was not enrolled in programming at the time of the July hearing, but was on waitlists for several programs.
The board heard testimony from three members of Cardoza’s family in support of parole. The board said it was aware of Cardoza’s disciplinary reports that happened after the hearing but before the final decision.
“The Board concludes that Alberto Cardoza has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the welfare of society,” officials wrote.
Special conditions for his release will include:
- Waive work for two weeks or program
- Electronic monitoring for six months
- Curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at parole officer’s discretion
- Supervise for drugs
- Supervise for liquor abstinence
- Report to assigned parole office on day of release
- No contact with victim’s family
- Must have mental health counseling for adjustment
- Long-term residential program
- Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous at least three times a week
