Stepheon Wells shot and killed Diva Ayuso, police said. (Mugshot: Boston Police Department)
Boston police said they arrested the young man who shot and killed a beloved Massachusetts mother. Stepheon Wells, 20, of the South Boston neighborhood, was arrested Friday in the area of 26 Hemenway Street, authorities said. That’s a short walk east of Fenway Park.
Cops said they arrived at the crime scene in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston on Feb. 18 to find Diva Ayuso, 32, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim, a resident of the Greater Boston town of Sharon, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her obituary described her as “loving,” “beloved,” and “devoted.”
Her uncle, Abiezer Ayuso, called her murder “shocking,” according to Boston 25 News in a June 19 report, shortly after police said they were looking for Wells as the suspect. Family reportedly said they did not know the defendant’s identity and are demanding answers as to why the devoted mother was killed.
The uncle said his niece’s 12-year-old son was “broken.”
“To live the rest of his life without his mom,” the elder Ayuso said. “What is justice for this, I don’t know.”
Ayuso was an employee for the Massachusetts Environmental Police, according to NBC Boston.
“She was a dedicated member of our team and great colleague,” said Col. Shaun Santos, the head of the agency, according to The Boston Herald. “Diva will be greatly missed.”
She earned a “citation for outstanding performance” in 2022.
From cops:
To those who find themselves in need of emotional support or simply needing to talk to someone about distressing events in our community, the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team (NTT) provides free, private support 24/7 at (617) 431-0125.
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