December 17, 2022
FREETOWN, MA
On Friday, December 16, 2022, at approximately 8:22 pm, the Freetown Communications Center received a call from a resident who reported that a neighbor, covered in blood, was at the resident’s door. Officers were dispatched to the location and, upon arrival, identified the victim as a 61-year-old suffering from a stab wound to the face. The victim identified the suspect as 25-year-old Angel-Leah Duarte and told police that she was located in a nearby home. The victim was then transported by Freetown ambulance to a local hospital.
Police proceeded to the home where they discovered that Duarte had fled, on foot, accompanied by her 2-year-old child. Police began a search for Duarte and the child. A short time later, a resident alerted police to Duarte’s location where she was subsequently taken into custody. However, the 2-year-old child remained unaccounted for.
Police, now joined by the department’s K-9 unit and members of the Freetown Fire Department, began a search of the area for the child. The search was then intensified to include K-9, drone and search and rescue teams from the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council. Additionally, residents were alerted to the missing child and search activity via a reverse 911 call. In the meantime, Duarte was transported by Freetown ambulance to a local hospital.
At approximately 10:57 pm, a police drone equipped with a thermal camera located the child in a wooded area and the operator directed nearby K-9 officers to her location. Considering the child’s prolonged exposure to the rain and cold temperature, she was transported via Lakeville ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Upon discharge from the hospital, Duarte was arrested and transported to the Freetown police station for booking. She was charged with the following offenses: attempted murder and assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. Bail was set at $50,000 and she is scheduled to be arraigned at the Fall River Justice Center on Monday, December 19th.
Lieutenant Steven E. Abbott
Public Information Officer