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Boston youths suspected of ‘terrorizing’ citizens, but many ‘too young’ for prosecution

Officials pointed to a 2018 criminal justice reform law that bars the arrest or prosecution of a child under the age of 12

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Roving bands of youths have been implicated in a growing number of “violent” attacks on pedestrians in Downtown Crossing and Boston Common.

Noah Bombard

By Erin Tiernan
masslive.com

BOSTON — Two 13-year-old juveniles were held on bail following their arraignment on various assault charges related to at least nine separate attacks “terrorizing unsuspecting citizens” in downtown Boston, the district attorney’s office announced.

The teenagers appeared in Suffolk County Juvenile Court on Monday before Judge Peter Coyne. One of the juveniles was charged with 14 counts from nine incidents and ordered held on $5,000 bail. The other was charged with nine counts from five incidents and ordered held on $3,500 bail, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.

Roving bands of youths have been implicated in a growing number of “violent” attacks on pedestrians in Downtown Crossing and Boston Common. Police have arrested several children in different related incidents they attribute to a “specific group of violent juveniles,” according to police reports obtained by MassLive.

But many of the children involved are too young to be arrested, Hayden said, citing a 2018 criminal justice reform law that prohibits the arrest or prosecution of children under the age of 12 and limits the ability of law enforcement agencies to hold children under the age of 14.

Hayden said it’s up to Mayor Michelle Wu and city officials to connect the children and their families to services, including an 11-year-old girl who has been identified as a ringleader.

“Our hope and practice is always to keep children from getting involved in court. But the frequency and seriousness of these incidents demanded an approach that would address the immediate public safety threat presented by these juveniles,” Hayden said.

Monday before Suffolk County Juvenile Court Judge Peter Coyne on various assault charges related to recent attacks in Downtown Crossing and Boston Common District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

Both juveniles arraigned on Monday were ordered — if they make bail — to wear GPS tracking bracelets, to leave home only for school or service provider reasons, and to stay away from Downtown Crossing and other areas where the attacks occurred.

The charges are in relation to numerous violent incidents at Downtown Crossing, Boston Common and other areas of the city over the past month.

A Masslive review of police reports uncovered the following incidents.

Five teenagers arrested in connection with a Downtown Crossing attack earlier this month when a group of girls and one boy attacked a woman standing at an intersection, calling her a “white b---- with braids,” the report states.

The city has received a “recent barrage of juvenile incidents,” according to the report, including teenagers fighting in public, smashing storefront windows, committing aggravated assaults, and assaulting police officers.

The incidents include the March 21 attack of an 81-year-old man at a McDonald’s on Washington Street by four juveniles. Three juveniles also allegedly shattered the Silvertone Bar and Grill’s storefront window on the same day when their attempts to order alcohol were denied, police reported.

On March 23, three juveniles were involved in a fight at Black Seed Cafe that was classified as an aggravated assault & battery, according to the report.

One of the incidents is being reported as a hate crime, the Boston Herald said.

Kiernan Dunlop contributed to this report.

©2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit masslive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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