SALEM — Justin Alba, 25, of Peabody was arraigned virtually Friday in Essex County Superior Court in connection to a drive-by shooting in September 2023 that left Jandriel Heredia, 21, of Revere, and Abraham Diaz, 25, of Lynn, dead, and injured five others.
Six suspects were each charged with two counts of murder for the shooting, which occurred around 2:20 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at a gathering on Essex Street.
Alba pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily harm, and four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Two of the other five suspects involved, Lynn residents Darwin Batista, 20, and Leonardo Espinoza, 15, pleaded not guilty to the two murder charges in October. The other three suspects, Yefferson Vallecio Cambar, 22, Carlos Ramirez Corniel, 16, and Abel Severino Reyes, 21, all of Lynn, will be arraigned at a later date.
Judge Kristen Buxton, in coordination with defense attorney Robert Sheketoff and prosecuting attorney Jessica Strasnick, scheduled a pre-trial conference for Tuesday, Dec. 23. Alba will attend through video.
The attorneys also came to an agreement that Alba would be held without bail without prejudice.
