Northampton man held without bail in December shooting

Hampshire County Courthouse in Northampton GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Published: 05-11-2024 4:11 PM |
NORTHAMPTON — A city man facing four counts of assault to murder and four felony weapons charges after allegedly trying to kill his neighbors by firing an assault rifle through a shared interior wall at their Wright Avenue home in December will remain at the Worcester Recovery Center pending further evaluation after his arraignment Friday in Hampshire Superior Court.
Joshua Martinelli, appearing remotely via Zoom through his attorney, Thomas Glynn, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Judge John Agostini. As agreed by Glynn and Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington, Agostini ordered that Martinelli continue to be held without the right to bail based on dangerousness, and that he would undergo a competency evaluation.
Martinelli, 29, reportedly told police when he was arrested Dec. 7 that he believed his neighbors had been trying to poison his dog for some time, and that his dog had told him to shoot them. He said he fired several rounds from what police described as an AK-47-style rifle through the downstairs and upstairs walls. The four residents next door told police they dived to the floor when they heard the shots. One of the rounds tore a hole in one of the neighbors’ pants. In all, police said, 17 rounds were fired.
Martinelli, who had no license to carry a firearm, faces a total of 13 charges, including animal cruelty for subjecting his dog to gunfire inside his residence. He was sent to the Worcester psychiatric hospital for 180 days following a hearing in January. His next court date was set for July 9.
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