Dorchester duo get life sentence in 2009 killings
First, there was an argument. Then, gunfire. One bullet shattered a window at the Ka’ Carlos restaurant in Uphams Corner, hitting a cook who was just there doing his job, killing him almost instantly. Another bullet claimed a customer involved in the fight.
Yesterday, two Dorchester men convicted of the 2009 slayings of the cook and the customer were sentenced to life in prison.
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Donovan imposed the mandatory sentence on Emmanuel Pina, also known as Emmanuel DePina, 28, and Sandro Tavares, 27, after relatives of the victims delivered emotional statements about the keen sense of loss that still pervades their lives.
Jovany Eason, 20, and Manuel Monteiro, 47, were killed Aug. 2, 2009, after a dispute at the Ka’ Carlos Bar and Grill on Hancock Street.
“At the time you killed my brother, he was helping me plan my wedding, and this happened just one month before my wedding,’’ Maria Monteiro said in court of her brother, Manuel, who worked days at a Rowes Wharf Restaurant and nights at Ka’ Carlos. “You have taken from me one of the most influential persons in my life.’’
Monteiro was a cook at the restaurant, and Eason was a patron.An argument flared between Eason and Pina and Tavares, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office.
Tavares and Pina were thrown out of Ka’ Carlos and lay in wait for Eason. When Eason emerged, Pina chased him with a .45-caliber handgun.
Pina fired at Eason but missed. The bullet crashed through a restaurant window and pierced Monteiro’s chest.
Pina continued to pursue Eason, firing repeatedly. Eason, who had a history of run-ins with the police, collapsed on Bird Street and died.
“I thought about what I would say, had I been given the chance,’’ Dessa Eason, Eason’s mother, said in court, according to a prepared copy of her impact statement. “I wanted to hurt you and your families’ heart the way that you have hurt mine. But that is not how I feel. And that is not who we are.’’
Monteiro was a father and grandfather who was also devoted to his sister.
“He was a hard-working man that worked two jobs, but still found time to help family and friends,’’ Maria Monteiro said in her written statement. “I can only pray that you remember my brother, Manuel Monteiro, and realize the sadness you have brought.’’
The first-degree murder convictions of both men will be automatically reviewed by the Supreme Judicial Court.
Amanda Cedrone can be reached at acedrone@globe.com. 
