Shooting suspect arrested after returning to crime scene with gun in waistband

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

A New Bedford man changed his clothes before he returned to the scene of a shooting where police were looking for him, but apparently didn’t think to remove the .45-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun from his waistband, police said.

New Bedford detectives arrested Okee Rodriquez Tuesday on illegal gun possession charges when witnesses pointed him out as the person who fired multiple times into a speeding white car, police said in a statement.

Police said it was not known if Rodriquez hit the white car, but they did find seven spent shell casings from a .45-caliber handgun near a car parked near Tinkham and Church streets.

While police were still at the scene, Rodriquez showed up and was quickly recognized as a shooting suspect by detectives, police said. When officers took him into custody, they performed a standard patdown of Rodriquez, police said.

Stuffed into his waistband was the .45-caliber pistol, which was seized by officers.

Rodriquez is to be arraigned today in New Bedford District Court on charges of unlawfully carrying a firearm, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm with obliterated serial numbers, and malicious destruction of personal property.