NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — A Providence man convicted of killing another man in a drive-by shooting more than three years ago will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Jahcolin Rodrigues, 23, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder last month in connection with the shooting death of 20-year-old Leonardo Tavares.

Tavares was driving through Pawtucket in May 2021 when Rodrigues spotted him and opened fire from his own vehicle.

Prosecutors said Tavares was found suffering from several gunshot wounds in his car, which he had parked along Randall Street. He was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Rodrigues and another man, identified by authorities as Todd Alicea , were arrested nearly three weeks after Tavares’ murder. Investigators believe the three men were involved in an ongoing gang feud.

Tavares’ cousin wiped away tears as she fondly remembered how he would “talk her ear off for hours” when he first moved to Rhode Island from Cape Verde as a young boy.

“This death has been the hardest I have ever been through,” she said. “The pain, the hurt, the anger and the sadness comes in waves. They say time heals, but I don’t think this is possible.”

She described Tavares as a loving and loyal man who always put his family, especially his mother and son, first.

“If you were a part of his life, he would do everything in his power to make sure that you were good,” she said.

Rodrigues apologized to Tavares’ family in court right before he was sentenced to life in prison.

“If I could go back and change what happened, I would,” he said. “I’m sorry beyond my words.”

Rodrigues was also sentenced to 20 additional years for the drive-by shooting.

Rhode Island Superior Court Associate Justice Maureen Keough encouraged Rodrigues to reflect on his actions throughout his sentence and prove to Tavares’ family that he truly is sorry for what he’s done.

“It’s not what you say, it’s what you do,” Keough said. “You took a life, it’s that simple … It’s up to you to make some good out of this horrible tragedy.”

Alicea’s next court date is scheduled for October.

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