A Lynn man with a long rap sheet was convicted for a brutal 2022 home invasion and sexual assault in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, authorities said Friday. Washington Pearson, a 56-year-old who had been living in a residential reentry program, represented himself in court and was found guilty on charges that included two counts of strangulation, assault with intent to rape, and indecent assault & battery.
Acting with a cruelty that stunned the community, Pearson, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, used a screwdriver to break into a woman's apartment on October 24, 2022. Found guilty of armed robbery and other charges, the district attorney's office told Boston25News, Pearson strangled his victim until she lost consciousness, sexually assaulted her, and again strangled her before fleeing with her phone and jewelry.
"This was an extraordinarily frightening experience for the victim, and she showed great courage to come forward and tell jurors what happened in her apartment that day," District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. Her testimony, paired with that of other witnesses, led the jury to their decision. This information was conveyed in the Boston25News report.
The attack, which took place while only one of the women living in the Arborway apartment was home, saw Pearson also taking some of her roommate's property. Having fled to Virginia post-assault, he was apprehended by U.S. Marshalls in November 2022, as noted by a NBC Boston press release, and has been remanded since then. On top of his many convictions, Pearson faces a history of 197 criminal entries since 1987.
Pearson's sentencing is set for February 6, concluding a trial that has captured the attention of the Boston community for its severity and the victim's bravery. The verdict delivered by the Suffolk County jury is a closure of sorts for the harrowing day unfolded in Jamaica Plain, said officials. The diligent work of Boston Police detectives and the fortitude of the victims and witnesses who testified were crucial in sealing the outcome, praised Suffolk DA's Office in their thanks extended through a Boston25News interview.
