Kevin Roldan-Pantojas

A Jamestown man has been charged in the drive-by shooting death of Jesus Batista-Perez on August 19 on Prendergast Avenue in Jamestown.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that 22-year old Kevin Roldan-Pantojas was arraigned Tuesday afternoon on a five-count indictment in Chautauqua County Court. Judge David Foley set bail at $1 million cash or $2 million property bond.

Roldan-Pantojas has been charged with 2nd Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Attempted Murder, 1st Degree Assault, 2nd Degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and tampering with physical evidence.

He is due back in court on October 24 for a Discovery Conference.

Jamestown Captain Scott Forester, City Council President Tony Dolce, Police Chief Tim Jackson, and Mayor Eddie Sundquist (at podium) for press conference on fatal drive-by shooting on Prendergast Avenue (August 19, 2022)

One person was killed and one injured in a targeted drive-by shooting on Prendergast Avenue Friday afternoon.

Jamestown Police say the incident happened just before 1:00 p.m. in the 800 block of Prendergast. 35-year-old Jesus Batista Perez was pronounced dead at the scene with the other victim being transported to UPMC Chautauqua before being flown to Hamot Medical Center for treatment.

The incident led to Jamestown Public Schools temporarily putting all school buildings under a temporary lockout Friday afternoon

Suspect vehicle in fatal drive-by shooting on Prendergast Avenue on August 19, 2022

Police say the vehicle suspected to be involved in the drive-by shooting appears to be a black four-door Toyota sedan with a New York registration, a sun roof, a tinted license plate cover on the front of the vehicle, and possibly a chrome gas cap.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, at a press conference Friday, said they’ve seen an uptick in violence in the city, “Which has been consistent with the rest of the country. This is very concerning and our Police Department has seized more and more illegal drugs and guns this year alone. I want to assure our residents that these incidents are overwhelmingly targeted and predominantly related to outside actors coming into our city.”

Council President Tony Dolce said a city-wide forum will be held the week after Labor Day in September, “I’ve asked the Police Chief to come in and also the Director of Development to talk about neighborhood issues, housing issues, as well as public safety issues. And giving the public the chance to come and ask questions and get answers from either council people, from the administration, from the Police Department, from the Department of Development, to get more of a hands-on and feel for what’s going on out there, what can be done, and what help citizens can do, what they can do to help us.”

Dolce said a location still needs to be determined for the forum but it will not be held in City Hall.

Police Chief Tim Jackson said that when it comes to how people can help keep neighborhoods safe, they should call police any time they see something out of the ordinary, “They know their neighborhoods better than we do because they live there. So whenever they see something out of the ordinary, do not hesitate to call us.”

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department at 716-483-7537 or the Jamestown Police Department Tip Line at 716-483-8477. All tips are confidential.