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Five Men Indicted In Connection With Lowell Homicide

Posted on: April 11, 2014 - 3:58pm

LOWELL – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announces today that five men have been indicted on charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Christiano Diaz-Arias, 44, of Lowell.

It is alleged that the five men committed an armed home invasion on December 18, 2013 at 49 2nd St. in Lowell. As a result of an altercation during the home invasion and attempted robbery, Diaz-Arias was shot and killed.

The defendants charged in connection with this murder are:

Roberto Lopez-Ortiz, 32, of Nashua, N.H. was indicted on charges of murder, armed home invasion, and armed assault to rob.

Donte Okowuga, 34, of Merrimack, N.H., was indicted on charges of murder, armed home invasion, and armed assault to rob.

Tarrant Tillis, 36, of Dracut was indicted on charges of murder, armed home invasion, and armed assault to rob.

Jonathan Rivera, 23, of Nashua, N.H., was indicted on charges of armed home invasion and armed assault to rob.

Kent Grays, 42, of Lowell was indicted on a charge of assault to rob.

Okowuga will be arraigned Monday in Middlesex Superior Court. Arraignment dates for the other defendants have not yet been scheduled. All five defendants are in custody.

It is alleged that the defendants went to the victim’s apartment in Lowell to commit a robbery. It is alleged that the victim was shot during an altercation with the defendants. The defendants fled the scene. Lopez-Ortiz suffered a gunshot wound to the hand and was treated and released from a Manchester, N.H., hospital.

An autopsy on the victim was conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the chest and head.

These charges are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is under investigation by the Lowell Police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

The prosecutors assigned to the case are Assistant District Attorneys Marisa Tagliareniand John McEvoy. The Victim Witness Advocate is Kristen Chamberlain.