Suspect arrested earlier this month after alleged dispute over blunt-wrap pricing

FALL RIVER — Police have arrested a man who is accused of shooting another during an argument on Monday evening on Harrison Street.

Tiberias Albert, 21, whose last listed address is 172 W. Springfield St., Roxbury, is charged with several firearm-related offenses that include armed assault to murder, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, carrying a loaded firearm without a license in public and possession of a large capacity firearm.

Albert was identified as the alleged shooter after an investigation by the Fall River Police Department’s Uniform Division, as well as the department’s Major Crimes, Vice and Intelligence, and Special Operations units, authorities said.

During Albert’s arraignment on Wednesday in Fall River District Court, Judge Toby Mooney ordered that Albert be held on $250,000 cash bail. Mooney also revoked the $500 bail that Albert posted on a pending assault case.

On Tuesday, while Fall River police detectives were conducting pre-search warrant surveillance of a residence at 301 Quequechan St., police said they saw a muzzle flash and heard gunshots emanating from the location. The department’s Special Services Unit responded, entered the residence and secured the scene, Lt. Ronald Furtado said in a press release.

The officers located and arrested Albert. While executing the search warrant, police found an FN-FiveseveN semi-automatic handgun believed to have been used in the shooting and seized it as evidence, authorities said.

The handgun’s caliber is similar to two shell casings police found near the crime scene, Assistant District Attorney Michael Cahillane said.

On Monday, around 5:08 p.m., the Fall River Uniform Division responded to a report of a man who was shot at 306 Harrison St. The responding officers found the victim, 47, who had suffered a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim was then transported to Rhode Island Hospital.

Initial witness statements indicated that the victim had been shot by an unknown black male. Cahillane said Albert shot the victim, who is believed to be the property manager at 306 Harrison St., after an argument outside the building. The victim was listed in critical but stable condition on Wednesday, police said.

A defense attorney said the prosecution’s case is weak and questioned the reliability of the prosecution’s main witness. Cahillane told the court that Albert has a long juvenile criminal record and has already served one year in prison for possession to distribute cocaine. Earlier this month, Fall River police officers arrested Albert and a friend after a verbal altercation at a County Street convenience store. The clerk told police the men claimed to be gang members and threatened to assault him because they were angry about the price of his store’s blunt wraps.

Albert is scheduled to return to district court on March 28 for a pretrial hearing.