"Teenager Charged with Murdering Army Veteran Just Hours After 18th Birthday"

2015-07-28T14:31:53-04:00

From: The Blaze

Just hours after his 18th birthday, police say a Rhode Island man fatally stabbed an Army veteran during an altercation.

Erico Montalvo is charged with the alleged murder of 26-year-old Colby Mendonca, a veteran who served in Afghanistan for two years. He is also being charged with assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly stabbing Mendonca’s friend during the scuffle.

According to WJAR-TV, a judge ordered Montalvo to be held without bail after the prosecutor in the case said the teenager had already confessed to the crime to police. Montalvo reportedly showed no emotion when he appeared in court on July 17 as his charges were read to him.

Police say the altercation occurred behind a Walgreens in Providence, Rhode Island during the early morning hours on July 11, according to WPRI-TV. Mendonca and his friend were allegedly attempting to buy alcohol from a bootlegger when their vehicle was struck by Montalvo’s.

“The guy gets out, starts stabbing his [Mendonca’s] best friend, so my cousin, like the hero he is, he gets out, pulls the guy off him, didn’t know he had a knife on him, and he proceeded to stab my cousin,” Kevin Martins, Mendonca’s cousin, told WJAR.

“This is not supposed to happen, you know?” Martins said. “I mean, he fought in a war, you know? He’s here on our soil. This is crazy. It’s ridiculous.”

According to the Providence Journal, Mendonca’s friend was left badly injured. Mendonca later died at a Rhode Island hospital, survived by his three-year-old daughter.

“This man went over there, gave up two years of his life,” a friend of Mendonca’s told WJAR. “Didn’t get to see his daughter crawl. Didn’t get to enjoy that moment. He comes back here and dies on our home soil. Our home soil. He didn’t deserve this. Nobody does.”

Mendonca was buried with full military honors the same day as Montalvo appeared before the judge in district court. Montalvo’s hearing is set for July 28.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/26/teenager-charged-with-murdering-army-veteran-just-hours-after-18th-birthday/

Teenager Charged with Murdering Army Veteran Just Hours After 18th Birthday

Just hours after his 18th birthday, police say a Rhode Island man fatally stabbed an Army veteran during an altercation. Erico Montalvo is charged with the alleged murder of 26-year-old ColbyMendonca, a veteran who served in Afghanistan for two years. He is also being charged with assault with...

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jul 28 at 2015 2:34 PM

2015-07-28T14:34:20-04:00

2 Lives ended. Tragic for the one. Good for the other.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jul 28 at 2015 2:39 PM

2015-07-28T14:39:27-04:00

Where is the NAACP? Where are Jackson and Sharpton? Come one gents if you're going to scream for rights you have to scream for everyone's rights.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 2:43 PM

2015-07-28T14:43:59-04:00

Take this "kid", who has no respect for human life, and all the other "bastards" that have committed this type of offense, plus all other gang members to Iraq where they can kill all the ISIS members that they want. Maybe when they are there being beheaded, they'll learn what "life is all about"and how precious it is? Just a thought.

Response by CMSgt Mark Schubert made Jul 28 at 2015 3:08 PM

2015-07-28T15:08:58-04:00

At least he was able to save his friend!

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Jul 28 at 2015 5:34 PM

2015-07-28T17:34:58-04:00

Fuck that little prick. I hope he gets fucking stabbed in the shower after he is ass raped!

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Jul 28 at 2015 9:10 PM

2015-07-28T21:10:27-04:00

So sad. Two lives lost. Sadly this young man has to live with the consequences of his actions. The soldier's family will also have to live with that horrible act.

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Jul 28 at 2015 9:12 PM

2015-07-28T21:12:50-04:00

What can you possibly say? A tragedy for many lives...just sad.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Jul 29 at 2015 12:03 AM

2015-07-29T00:03:04-04:00

Not to detract from the loss of life of an American veteran at the hands of some teen-aged pos, but the story also reports that Mendonca (the vet) and his friend were allegedly attempting to buy alcohol from a bootlegger...? Again, not to detract, but isn't that illegal? Does that activity still even exists? Or does bootlegging mean something different these days? Not that it justifies what happened to him, support it in any way or that he deserved it, but why would someone take such a bone-headed risk of the possibility, no matter how insignificant, of not getting to see their three-year-old daughter? No one deserves this, especially his little one... I guess it only reiterate the need to make better choices in our lives... I'm sure he never expected that, on this day, his soul would be required of him; that his life would be ended by some pos over a seemingly "acceptable risk"... Such a senseless death for a American veteran... and I hope the pos fries...

Response by SPC Sean Barney made Jul 29 at 2015 1:53 AM

2015-07-29T01:53:08-04:00

Throw the thug in a hole and forget about him. piece of shit.
Sorry a soldier had to die like that and I hope his daughter and family are coping.

Response by SFC Douglas Duckett made Jul 29 at 2015 9:33 AM

2015-07-29T09:33:24-04:00

As an Army Veteran, I learned the seven Values and try to live by them daily. MSgt Curtis Ellis brought up a good point on the "bootlegging" and this Veteran was allegedly attempting to buy alcohol from one. We Veterans are not the "normal" public. We were trained, conditioned, and expected to live within standards higher than the average. This expectation should not end just because we no longer wear the uniform.
Integrity - Do what’s right, legally and morally. Integrity is a quality you develop by adhering to moral principles. It requires that you do and say nothing that deceives others. As your integrity grows, so does the trust others place in you. The more choices you make based on integrity, the more this highly prized value will affect your relationships with family and friends, and, finally, the fundamental acceptance of yourself.
This tragic incident happened, it happened to a Veteran that at one time proudly served his country. A person must take responsibility for their “own” actions. Court documents obtained by news sources allege that Mendonca and friends went to buy alcohol from a bootlegger in the store’s parking lot, when their truck was struck by Montalvo’s car. Montalvo tried to leave the scene after the two parties could not come to terms, but the group caught up in the truck and stopped him behind the store.
So, Mendonca and friends chased after Montalvo and that is when the stabbing occurred at around 2:00 am. All lives matter, and I feel sorrow for the family that is left behind because of this tragic incident. But, I refuse to jump on the “hero” bandwagon and pull the Veteran sympathy card when the Veteran participated in bad decisions that resulted in the loss of his life.

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Dec 16 at 2015 12:24 PM

2015-12-16T12:24:42-05:00

Sad case, although no one deserves to die or be killed over foolishness, could this have been prevented by had the veteran just purchased his alcohol in a store were he was of legal age to purchase?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 17 at 2015 12:07 AM

2015-12-17T00:07:44-05:00

Again, we have to pray for both parties!

Response by PO3 Sandra Gomke made Aug 16 at 2016 9:51 AM

2016-08-16T09:51:20-04:00

That boy has no sense of morality. Veteran or no, he had no right to take another's life. As for BvW, do we even know Mendonca was white? Bottom line, it doesn't matter. These punks that think it's alright to kill need to be removed from society. Period!