Winthrop woman pleads guilty to 2021 stabbing death

BOSTON, August 26, 2024 – A Winthrop woman pleaded guilty today to a manslaughter charge in the stabbing death of a 19-year-old woman in Chelsea in 2021, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

AVA NAJAFI, 20, pleaded guilty to killing Cyndell Rodriguez, 19, of Chelsea.  Suffolk Superior Court Judge Mary Ames sentenced Najafi to 12 to 14 years in prison, with credit for time served. Najafi, who was 17 at the time of the stabbing, has been held without bail since being arrested the day after the incident.

Members of the Chelsea Police Department responded to the area of Garfield Avenue shortly before 9:30 p.m. on August 19, 2021.  Upon arrival, they located Rodriguez suffering from knife wounds to her throat and chest.  Rodriguez was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Investigators determined that Rodriguez was among a group of individuals who became involved in an altercation on Garfield Avenue with another group. Najafi was among the individuals in the second group.  Najafi fatally stabbed Rodriguez during the altercation. 

Numerous family members and friends of Rodriguez read victim impact statements at today’s sentencing hearing.

“The tragedy in this heartbreaking case extends to everyone directly and indirectly involved. The family and friends of Cyndell Rodriguez forever lost a young woman just starting out in life. Their loss is eternal. But it’s a tragedy for Ava Najafi as well, whose quick and terrible decisions that day ended one life and dramatically altered her own,” Hayden said.  

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications