# Man Gunned Down In Home



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

_Police: Homeowner Shot By Man Asking To Borrow Phone_

*BROCKTON, Mass. -- *Police in Brockton said a 34-year-old man was shot and killed inside his home, apparently by a man who claimed his car had broken down and he needed to use a phone.

Police rushed to the scene on Plain Street after receiving a frantic 911 call early Friday morning from Nelson Pina's girlfriend.

After losing contact with the woman, police waited for a time outside the single-family home, then stormed the home, fearing that one or more gunmen might still be inside.

They found Pina dead and his terrified girlfriend hiding in the home. There was no sign of any suspects.

A car found parked in front of Pina's home was towed to a state police barracks and will be examined for evidence.

_Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed._


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*No sign of gunman in wake of Brockton murder*


_By Maureen Boyle, ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER_

BROCKTON - As investigators combed for clues through the Plain Street home of a 34-year-old man found shot to death Friday, police and search dogs trudged through woods and small streams for hours in the surrounding area, hoping to find signs of the killer.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said a neighbor reported seeing someone suspicious in the area, sparking the ground and helicopter search, but no one had been found during the massive effort.

The principal at the nearby Davis School sent out a recorded message to parents, telling them a "serious crime" had been committed on Plain Street and alerting them to the search.

A School Department spokeswoman said the message - sent out on the new calling system launched earlier this school year - told parents that teachers and school police officers would be stationed along the route normally taken by students at dismissal time. Students were dismissed at noon Friday for parent-teacher conferences, she said.

Parents, on the message, were also encouraged to keep children inside while the investigation was ongoing during the day.

Nelson Pina, 34, of 405 Plain St., was found shot to death near the doorway of his home early Friday after he opened his door to at least one person who claimed to have a disabled vehicle. The suspect, authorities were told, asked to use the phone.

Pina's frantic girlfriend dialed 911 sometime during the attack, then hid in the house as police rushed to the scene.

Officers encircled the house after getting the 1 a.m. call, fearing the gunman was still inside holding people hostage. After losing contact with the woman by phone, police stormed the house about 2:30 a.m. and found her hiding inside. One neighbor said Pina's 11-year-old son was staying at his grandmother's home when the attack occurred.

Lt. John Crowley, chief of detectives, said officers initially waited outside because, based on information gleaned from at least one witness, they believed a suspect or suspects were still inside.

"The female on the phone was saying she heard noises inside. We had no reason to doubt her. Her safety was paramount to us," Crowley said.

Neighbors reported hearing a "boom" and family next door to the home were evacuated as a precaution when police rushed the house.

Cruz said the shooting was "not random." Why Pina was shot remained under investigation.

Cruz said authorities were making progress in the probe and were following whatever leads they could find.

A car, believed used by the suspect or suspects, was found parked outside the house and towed from the scene to the state police barracks. The vehicle was being examined for potential evidence.

Cruz declined to say if police interviewed the owner of the vehicle or if it had been reported stolen.

"Everything is being looked into," he said.

The neighborhood of single-family homes is normally quiet, residents said.

"I'm not afraid living here," Mary Jones, who lives nearby, said. "I'm not at all nervous."

Jones and her husband, Walter, said they've lived there for 40 years and many of their neighbors have also lived there for many years.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2006)

much much more to this story.............


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