Assaulted on Bike Path to Davis Sq. T-Stop

[scottdn.livejournal.com]

I created an LJ account specifically so i could alert this community about my being assaulted by a group of 18-23 year olds on the bike path between Willow and the Davis Sq. T-Stop.

This happened Thursday, Aug 14 at about 7:30PM. It was still light out and there were lots of people all around, and sadly, nobody walking by stopped to get involved.

I'm convinced I've seen this same group of punks hanging out in the square itself on a Friday night a couple weeks back -- I recall they were randomly screaming out and harassing people in front of JP Licks.

If they are here to stay in our community, it's alarming that they are getting progressively more dangerous and I'd like to see if anyone else has had a run in with them.

I have the name and address of the one of them I was able to identify from the police officer I summoned. He lives disturbingly nearby.

The cops, while very helpful, were unable to make an arrest tonight since it was a "simple assault" and pretty much he-said/he-said. They gave me the guy's contact info in case I wanted to press charges.

The guy that struck me in the head was clearly intoxicated, and since both my girlfriend and I walk around davis square and the path, we're both just hoping that the group forgets my face and leaves us alone (i.e. I wont follow up w/ a complaint at the courthouse).

The officer said about 20 minutes before I was harassed, there was another attack by what appeared to be the same group of thugs further down the path towards Minuteman where a person was told "Would you rather be stabbed or shot?" They stole his iPhone.

My encounter happened like this:

I was walking towards the square to meet my girlfriend for dinner. Up ahead, there were a group of guys sort of hanging out in the middle of the path and being loud. I didn't think anything of it since there were tons of people all around. As i was walking past them, a tall buzz-cut guy (the drunk one) rolled his bike sideways across the path to get in my way. As I was stepping around them, he said something like, "Do you have any bells?" (or "bills?") I said no, and tried to get around him. All of a sudden, I heard him yell "Pussy!" and felt him strike the back of my head.

I turned around, got a real good look at him and his buddies, and kind-of stunned, said something like, "What?"

That was my mistake. I should have started running.

Suddenly, his friends started egging him on and they all started moving towards me. Flight or fight? Easy choice since it was 6 young guys against me. Run.

The guy was fast and caught up with me by the dumpster at the rite-aid parking lot. He was yelling stuff at me and then one of his buddies came up behind me and started saying, "You got any money? Give me your money!"

Drunk guy grabbed my shirt, knocked the side of my head a couple of times, hard enough to bend my glasses. We tussled for what felt like 10-15 seconds and he got a couple more strikes on my face. I must say, i was more confused than terrified at that point. Somehow i manged to wiggle away and I ran towards the T Stop. The guy followed me on his bike yelling out, "Pussy!" over and over again. This is when my fear caught up to my blood rush, because this guy was not giving up even though I was running towards a crowded area.

My girlfriend was waiting at the stop and I yelled at her to get inside and call the cops. She and I stayed inside the t stop and this guy was just hovering back and forth out by the bike racks yelling but eventually goes away.

Cops get there in just a few minutes and go investigate where I was attacked... the guys were long gone.

So we gave our story and chalked it up to random mugging attempt. My adrenaline was going strong so we decided to just go home. First we stopped at the convenience store across the street from the t-stop by jp licks to grab a coke.

As we were leaving, my blood ran cold as I saw these guys congregated right outside the door. I immediately turned around and ushered my GF back inside. I thought they were waiting for me to exact revenge for calling the cops so I hid in the back corner. One of them came inside, had a long chat with the shopkeep and slid some money across the counter. The police arrived and actually detained the drunk guy (since he was the only one for which i could really provide a description... all his buddies scattered, of course)

They asked a bunch of questions and were trying to find a legal way to arrest these guys since they were clearly the same batch that stole the iphone from another guy earlier. Unfortunately, the other victim identified a different person than I identified, so there was no way to make the connection and, hence, no arrests.

Incidentally, when the police asked the shopkeep about the guy that came in and chatted he denied that he ever saw those 20yr olds before. In fact, not only had he seen one of them for about 4-5 minutes before, but he accepted a wad of cash (hush money? Does that really happen?)

Regardless, I will never shop there again and encourage you not to either.

I further learned from the bike officer that these punks have claimed the corner in front of davis square and that store (sorry, I just moved here. I don't know the name, but it's right by jp licks on college ave) and are frequently there on weekend nights. The punchy one is white, about 5' 10", has a buzz-cut, and is loud.

So I'm not sure what I could have done differently to have avoided this, but I know I will run into these guys again if I ever want to enjoy davis square. So if I'm in the middle of being pummeled by one of them in broad daylight, I would like it if somebody would at least call 911 on my behalf.

Please be careful, don't wear your ipod on the trail, and be very aware of everything. If you have similar stories, specifically about these guys, please share.

Update: I filed a report, after all.

Comments

[ron_newman]

The store is Tedeschi's, formerly Store 24. This is a very disturbing story, and I urge you to tell the city's two newspapers about it as well (if their editors aren't already reading this).

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

So the cops didn't arrest the guy that actually assaulted you? Its weird and sad that nobody helped you at all.

[myselftheliar.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's the same group but a few weeks ago a bunch of guys on the bike path started yelling obscene things (re: sexual, implied threats) at me when I was walking home around 9pm. I had thought it little more than drunken harassment. however, as none approached me, but the descriptions seem very similar so I feel its worth mentioning it.

[ifotismeni]

ugh, thugs in front of the tedeschi's? yea, i can believe this =/ this SUCKS.

damn it, i can't believe the cops can't do anything about this. wtf?!?

man... i only lived in davis for 2 years but this kind of thing just was so unusual. as someone says in later comments, i feel horrible that you just moved here and this happened to you! this really isn't typical of the area at all. god, i hope the police crack down on these guys and FAST.

[junesrose.livejournal.com]

Damm. I joined this community cause I lived all of my life in Davis Square (ok, not ALL of it...), and wanted to keep updated about the goings on... that, and besides the fact that my mom still lives there, alone. This is NOT what I'm used to hearing about.

I'm very sorry you had to go through this, and I hope that the Police catch these thugs soon. I also hope this doesnt alter your impression of the area. Though I've been gone a long time, it's still "my home", and I would hate to think that this sort of stuff is going on now.

*hands you a cold compress*

[ron_newman]

I saw a large number of police cars and officers on Elm Street and Chester Street, between the Burren and Redbones, around 10 pm tonight. No idea if this was related -- probably not.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

And practicing kung fu (although none of them were polar bears).

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

13-16...barely high school.

[ron_newman]

One other idea -- please bring this to the attention of Aldermen Jack Connolly and Rebekah Gewirtz, both of whom live a short walk from Tedeschi's.

[bluesauce.livejournal.com]

Well, that fucking sucks. Sorry you had to take that abuse.

Young looking assailants

[scottdn.livejournal.com]

16 is plenty dangerous in my book. Actually, come to think of it, the guys that actually roughed me up did look older than their friends... ringleader types. I originally told the cop i thought he was 17-18 or so, and the cop told me after checking the guy's id that he was 23. I bet they are skewed younger than my original post. Punks, regardless. Hate to say it and prove my yuppiness, but the phrase "out of place" comes to mind, also. I would say white/hispanic, but kind of "up-to-no-good"

If this is a pattern with this group, they are getting more and more aggressive (remember, they (allegedly) stole an iphone from someone under threat of stabbing or shooting) and they laid hands on me, a fellow davis square resident.

i dont mind kids being kids and acting out and goofing around inappropriately in public, but the second they are punching strangers in the face, I'm pretty sure something needs to happen.

good cops

[scottdn.livejournal.com]

Can I also say, for the record, I do not blame the police officers for not being able to make arrests, and in fact, was comforted that they found me, on foot, so quickly.

I regret I didn't take the officers' names, but there was one on bike who patrols davis square and she was extremely helpful and understanding and assured me (for what it's worth) that she will keep an extra eye on those guys.

The other one (in a patrol car) was giving me every benefit of the doubt and was clearly looking out for justice. He believed my story, but his hands (and the hands of the detective who also came out (investigating the iphone robbery)) were tied.

Even if they had taken these guys to jail, there wouldn't be a case to commit them and now I'd have a target on my back. I got a lot of "we're sorry, sir, but this is the best we can do." And I know they meant the "we're sorry" part because they looked like they badly wanted to take those guys down.

I don't blame the police here, and i think it's worth pointing out that their first question out of their mouth was "are you hurt?" I wasn't, really... just shaken.

And for that, I guess, I'm grateful.

Re: Young looking assailants

[bluesauce.livejournal.com]

Word. I used to like going to the Square in the evening to sit around and shoot the breeze with friends outside, but I guess that's out if uncontrollable punk-asses are running around.

Re: good cops

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

But didn't they have the guy in custody that actually assaulted you? Why were they not able to make an arrest?

[prog.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you went through this. Thank you for sharing.

The bike path between Davis and Cedar was host to another gang of hostile kids several summers ago (2002? 2003?) and there were similar reports and discussion to be found here. I'm not sure what, if anything, was done to make them go away... I don't recall there being any followup posts here about it. I'm curious now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/cgull_/]

The cops were definitely busy tonight; a couple came driving down the bike path to Willow while we were walking down it right around sunset, converging with several others (and eventually a firetruck and ambulance) to someplace near Willow and Morrison. (We didn't stay around.) So they're clearly...interested in the problem. Somebody I passed mentioned some drunk guy assaulting people, so probably they were still after your assailant.

[kidsmokes.livejournal.com]

This is extremely disturbing since I live behind the bike path and am frequently walking alone :(

yes, please alert Aldermen Connelly and Gewirtz

[mamabunny72.livejournal.com]

... Ron, that's a great idea.

I'll also post a notice to the Davis Sq crime watch listserv and a few of the by-street listservs.

[prog.livejournal.com]

Also, ugh, I just re-read the post and caught the detail about what looked to you like a hush-money bribe.

I agree: WTF? That's like something that would happen in a lame gangster video game. It's not like I visit that store every day (or every year), but still.

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

So hang on a minute. If someone thumps you for no reason, you have to press charges otherwise they walk?? WTF? The obvious corollary to this is to give this punk an assaulting and walk away.

In all seriousness, this is what happens when petty bad behavior is tolerated. People trampling the flowers and scrawling graffiti on the subway roof in the square outside Store 24, littering and loud and disrespectful playacting by both hooligans, drunken townies and hobos is the sort of thing, if not curtailed, sends a signal that anything goes.

Another thing, why is there never a cop or two in the Square on weekends? One of the busiest hangouts for noisy young people in the Metro area and lawlessness is apparently rampant.

The police either need to get it together with the city and get this scum off the street or let the citizens take care of the issue themselves.

Re: good cops

[scottdn.livejournal.com]

From what I understood, it was because it was my word against his. Because it was "merely" a scuffle / fist-fight (I didn't punch him, but whatever), it goes down as "simple assault." My only recourse now is to press charges at the station. Then there would probably not be enough proof to issue an arrest warrant. And even less is there to convict (unless he says something stupid while in custody). I'm no lawyer, but i only had my girlfriend as a witness I could call on, and she just saw him yelling at me.

The guy denied the incident happened and didn't expose anything that would constitute a confession. Apparently, If I had claimed the guy had touched me with his bike, it's suddenly a weapon and they might have been able to do something. Also if he had consented to a search and they found the other guy's iphone, then they could have tied him to a robbery (and aggravated since there was a threat of a weapon) and that could DEFINITELY have arrested him on the spot. If I had identified the same guy that the other guy identified, then that would have been a connection as well.

They talked me through everything they could think of to nail them (leading questions, even). However, innocent until proven guilty, and I don't think we had proof.

I don't want to press charges, because i don't want to get into it w/ these guys every time i walk to the square from now on; especially true if the guy goes free.

Re: yes, please alert Aldermen Connelly and Gewirtz

[scottdn.livejournal.com]

Thank you. any assistance in spreading the word is greatly appreciated. Where can I find these listservs? I'm trying to look up the aldermen contact info, as well.

Re: yes, please alert Aldermen Connelly and Gewirtz

[hakamadare.livejournal.com]

Where can I find these listservs? I'm trying to look up the aldermen contact info, as well.

To subscribe to the crime watch list, send email to watch-subscribe@vecna.org (mailto:watch-subscribe@vecna.org).

Aldermen's contact info are linked from here:

http://www.somervillema.gov/Department.cfm?orgunit=ALDERMEN

My condolences; I'm sorry this happened to you.

-steve

[ifotismeni]

and isn't that store under new management now? it's only been a tedeschi's for a few months!

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

yeah, my (now) husband and good friend and I were jumped by a group of ~17-18 year old kids around that area around that time. Nothing came of it, the goup of kids scattered and cops didn't catch anyone. My husband was kicked and had his hair pulled, and my friend punched in the face. Apparently a group of girls a head of us on the path had been threatened by them as well, with a pipe.