Boston Criminal Lawyers Blog

The Boston Police Department reports that Timothy Carlson, 50, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, was arrested last night for breaking into and robbing the Mission Church in Roxbury.

Officers responded to the area of 1547 Tremont Street at 10:43 p.m. last evening on another call saw Carlson holding a white bag. When they attempted to speak to him, Carlson allegedly ran and jumped over a barricaded construction site. As Boston Police Officers pursued into the construction site, they observed numerous discarded dollar bills.

Ultimately, Carlson was found hiding behind an electrical box, where he began shouting expletives and allegedly resisted arrest. A search of the area revealed numerous dollar bills where Carlson allegedly jumped the wall and a white cloth filled with prayer slips.

From the Boston Police Department's news release, it is clear that there was no report of a break-in at the Mission Church, and that officers attempted to initially stop him only because he appeared to them as 'suspicious.' Clearly then, Carlson has some very strong Search & Seizure issues to litigate in his defense in this case, i.e., whether the Boston Police Officers had reasonable suspicion to order him to stop and probable cause to arrest him. No matter whether an officers hunch turns out to ultimately be right, an arrest without justification of probable cause is invalid and any evidence seized as a result of such a Constitutional violation may be suppressed.

Carlson was arrested and charged with Breaking & Entering in the Nighttime; Larceny Over $250; Possession of Burglarious Tools; Assault & Battery on a Police Officer; Resisting Arrest; Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, and Common and Notorious Thief.

Continue reading "Roxbury Man Arrested for Robbing Mission Hill Church" »

A man attempting to rob Llanera Market in South Boston earlier this week got stuck in the metal grate he tried to shimmy between.

The security camera caught Phillip Donahue breaking into the store on East 8th Street by starting to bend the metal grate at approximately 2:25 a.m. By 3:30 a.m., he had gotten his head through but ended up getting stuck.

When Boston Police arrived on scene, the man was still stuck between the metal grates. He was immediately arrested and charged with Breaking & Entering at Nighttime to Commit a Felony.

Continue reading "Man Gets Stuck in Door During Robbery of South Boston Store" »

Kevin Ireland, 54 of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was arrested yesterday for the murder of a woman in a Gloucester funeral home that occurred 34 years ago. Also charged with murder was Norman Pike of San Francisco, who was the grandson of the funeral home owner and who fled the Gloucester area shortly after the murder and began using the alias "Dan Franklin."

Norman Pike was arrested this past Monday by officers from various agencies, including the Gloucester Police Department and Massachusetts State Police. At this time, he has contested rendition from California and it could take up to 3 months to have him brought to Massachusetts to be arraigned on Murder charges in Gloucester District Court.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office alleges that Ireland, Pike, and a third man who is now deceased, went to rob the funeral home's safe. During the robbery, it is believed the victim walked in on the two men and was then murdered.

Despite this murder having gone unsolved for 34 years, investigators from the Gloucester Police Department and the Essex County District Attorney's Office recently reviewed the case and began re-interviewing witnesses who had been questioned at the time. The Essex County District Attorney's Office reports that, as a result of those re-interviews, police were able to secure arrest warrants for Kevin Ireland and Norman Pike.

Continue reading "Essex County D.A.'s Office Charges Two Men in 34 Year Old Gloucester Murder" »

Michael McInnis, 34 of Malden, was arrested for the second time in the past few weeks yesterday for another robbery, this time in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Boston Police, McInnis was arrested along with Crystle Sears, 22, after a witness reported them breaking into Liberty Tax Service at 2:50 a.m. Both McInnis and Sears were identified by witness(es) at the scene, and Sears was allegedly carrying a hammer and wood chisel.

Boston Police are charging McInnis with Breaking and Entering in the Nighttime for a Felony; Possession of Burglarious Instruments; Malicious Destruction of Property Over $250; and Disorderly Conduct. Sears was likewise charged with Breaking and Entering in the Nighttime for a Felony; Possession of Burglarious Instruments; and Malicious Destruction of Property Over $250.

You may remember that Michael McInnis was arrested last month in Malden, Massachusetts, after allegedly robbing a 7-11 of about $100. That robbery was widely reported because surveillance video captured a 75-yeard old elderly woman coming to the aid of the store clerk as he was being robbed.

According to Malden Police, Michael McInnis' extensive history of arrests are what led him to being easily identified from the surveillance video. It is reported that he has been criminally charged 13 times over the past 10 years in Malden District Court from criminal offenses ranging from Disturbing the Peace to Robbery. He also recently served 60 days in jail for traffic violations.

Continue reading "Malden Man Arrested Again in Boston for Another Robbery" »