Alleged killer held without bail for murder of Deija Mendez

LOWELL, Mass. — The last two days have been an emotional whirlwind for Carmen Nieves, the mother of Deija Mendez, a young Boston woman murdered in Lowell on June 23rd.

On Tuesday, after weeks of putting it off, Nieves sadly picked up her daughter’s ashes.

Later that day, she learned the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section had captured Deija’s alleged killer in Fall River, 20-year-old Xavier DeJesus.

DeJesus vanished after Mendez’s murder and became one of the Mass State Police’s Most Wanted fugitives.

“I was dreading going to get her, yesterday was the day I needed to do it,” Nieves said outside Lowell District Court, shortly before DeJesus was arraigned. “It’s closure. But at least I picked her up, and he got picked up too.”

Nieves went to Lowell District Court wearing a special necklace depicting angel wings.

Inside that necklace was some of her daughter’s ashes.

In court, Nieves was angry to see that DeJesus was allowed to shield his face from our cameras by standing behind his lawyer and a set of lowered blinds.

“He’s a coward!” Nieves exclaimed. “You were bold enough to go get a gun. You were bold enough to go shoot my daughter, and you can’t show your face?”

Prosecutors allege Mendez travelled to Lowell from Boston with a friend to buy the friend’s car in a private sale, but the car was in the possession of the friend’s ex-girlfriend.

That ex-girlfriend is currently DeJesus’ current girlfriend, who also happens to be the mother of his child.

Something went wrong.

And Mendez was found shot in the forehead, behind the wheel of the rented SUV she drove from Boston hours earlier.

DeJesus disappeared.

Authorities allege DeJesus had help from others before and after the murder.

Also on Wednesday another man, Corey Roy, was arrested and arraigned at Lowell District Court. He is charged with being an accessory to Mendez’s murder.

Prosecutors allege Roy helped DeJesus get a gun before the murder and then, hours later, tried to arrange an alibi and an escape from Lowell.

Here is a portion of text messages prosecutors say they retrieved from Roy’s phone:

Roy: “Tell your girl. If anything, you been in Florida for weeks. I don’t want you getting booked. We can’t have no slip ups.”

DeJesus: “As soon as I’m out of Lowell I’m good.”

Roy: “I’m gonna Uber you.”

Roy is now held on $25,000 cash bail.

DeJesus is being held without bail and is due back in court in September.

Three other alleged accomplices, including DeJesus’ girlfriend, are also facing charges in the case.

Cox Media Group