Massachusetts

Man Shot, Officer Assaulted During Violent Night in Methuen

Two people have been arrested in connection with a shooting at a McDonald's parking lot in Methuen

Two arrests have been made in connection with an ongoing investigation after a man was shot multiple times in a McDonald's parking lot in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Methuen police say 41-year-old Yolanda Hernandez, of Lawrence, was arrested and charged with assault and battery after the fact for pulling a woman out of a vehicle after someone else had shot her husband multiple times.

Police applied for arrest warrants for Henry Infante, 42, of Lawrence on charges of assault to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm without a license, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, and illegal possession of ammunition. His arrest was announced around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon said the man who was shot and his wife, who live in Lawrence, had offered two car doors up for sale on the OfferUp app and were meeting in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant just before 11 p.m. Monday.

The victims were about to meet the buyer when several cars pulled up to their minivan. About 10 or 11 people got out of the cars and took the for-sale doors out of the man's minivan when Infante started to hit the man who was selling them.

The suspect then pulled a handgun out of his pocket and then fired at the man multiple times, then fired more shots as he ran away, surveillance video provided by police showed.

Police said the man who had been shot stumbled inside the McDonald's for help, where a good Samaritan started first aid until first responders arrived and took him to Lawrence General Hospital.

The shooting victim, who has not been named, was shot at least two times in the chest and stomach and is expected to be OK.

"With people in the parking lot, people driving through, people inside, firing that many rounds just openly like that, we're very lucky nobody died," Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon said.

Following her arraignment in Lawrence District Court, Hernandez was held without bail pending a dangerous hearing on Jan. 11. Infante will also be arraigned in Lawrence District Court.

"I don't think anybody should be selling anything online," Solomon said, adding, "As you can see, last night's shooting at McDonald's — which is a very public place on Haverhill Street, it's busy -- wasn't safe."

The shooting wasn't the only instance of violence in Methuen — around 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a stabbing fight on Broadway. When an officer was at a hospital investigating that incident, police said 18-year-old Dionviles Mejia of Lawrence charged at the officer and attacked him, causing a minor hand injury.

Mejia was charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery on a police officer. He is due to be arraigned 

The stabbing suspect's name has not been released.

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