BALTIMORE — Nehemias Batista was found guilty of Murder in the First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Murder of Edwin Rivera; Attempted Murder in the First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Murder of a second victim; Assault in the First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Assault of a third victim; and Assault in the Second Degree of a fourth victim.
On February 6, 2016, Baltimore Police officers responded to a shooting at a bar in the 500 block of South Bond Street. Upon arrival, first responders found that four victims had been shot—one of whom later died at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
According to witness testimony, Batista and a co-conspirator were seated at the restaurant’s bar prior to the shooting. Batista and his accomplice—for reasons unknown—covered their faces with clothing and began firing at Rivera and his associates seated in the dining area.
Batista and his accomplice exited the bar and hopped into a taxi waiting outside with a third accomplice. Police were able to link all three men to the crime by examining the phone records of the device used to call the taxi. The phone records traced back to an address where investigators found weapons used in the attack.
“This was an incredibly brazen attack that was carried out in a bar where unsuspecting� innocent people became the victims of a heinous attack,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. “This conviction is yet again a testament to the fact that we will aggressively pursue justice on behalf of the innocent.”
Sentencing is scheduled for February 22, 2017. Batista is facing four life sentences plus 60 years, and his two co-conspirators are scheduled to stand trial in March.
