Case Insights
- Federal court partially denies motion to dismiss 13-count lawsuit stemming from fatal stabbing of 67-year-old Hispanic resident at public housing complex
- Housing authority allegedly ignored suspected killer’s criminal history including prior first-degree murder charge from Puerto Rico
- Case highlights critical gaps in HUD oversight of housing authorities and landlord screening requirements that can leave vulnerable tenants at risk
By Samuel Lopez – USA Herald
Hampden County, Massachusetts – A federal judge has ruled that most claims in a wrongful death lawsuit against the Chicopee Housing Authority will proceed to state court, marking a significant development in a case that exposes potential systemic failures in public housing safety protocols and tenant screening procedures.
The lawsuit, filed by six plaintiffs including family members and neighbors of Domingo Arocho, centers on the 2021 fatal stabbing of the 67-year-old Hispanic man at the Governor George D. Robinson Apartments, a federally subsidized housing complex managed by the Chicopee Housing Authority.
The case began when Arocho was visiting neighbor Candida Laracuente‘s apartment in September 2020. According to court documents, Urayoann Urimagua-Guaraboa, a fellow resident with an extensive criminal history, allegedly stabbed Arocho to death and attempted to attack Laracuente. Witnesses reported that after the attack, Urimagua-Guaraboa allegedly shouted, “Who’s next?”
The plaintiffs argue that this tragedy could have been prevented if the housing authority had properly screened Urimagua-Guaraboa before allowing him to become a tenant. Prior to his tenancy, the man had been charged with first-degree murder in Puerto Rico in 2010 – information the housing authority allegedly failed to discover during their background check process.
