A Boston man with a history of violent offenses has been arraigned for assaulting a man near the Charles River, according to the Suffolk District Attorney's Office. Charles Selph, 62, faced the court on May 28, charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon following an incident that occurred on the night of May 23.
Judge James Coffey set Selph's bail at $1,000 and issued orders for Selph to avoid contact with the victim and the location of the attack; the 54-year-old victim had been attacked while sleeping under the Longfellow Bridge, and the resultant injuries sent him to Massachusetts General Hospital but not before he ran onto Storrow Drive, where drivers stopped to aid him and a cell phone video captured by a motorist later provided a key piece of evidence. Selph’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 21 for a pre-trial hearing.
State Police troopers, responding to the scene after receiving calls about the bloodied victim, were given a description of the assailant which led them to review surveillance footage from the nearby Charles/MGH MBTA station, where they spotted an individual, believed to be Selph, holding an object consistent with the description provided by the victim. Further investigation turned up a machete in the vicinity, along with belongings identified as Selph's, including a black backpack containing a medical bracelet and prescription medication bottle.
Selph, who was apprehended on May 27, has been previously convicted of numerous crimes, ranging from assault with a dangerous weapon to failure to register as a sex offender; as recent as May 2023, he served time for assault and battery.“I am extremely grateful for the motorists who stopped and helped this victim and for the victim’s assistance in giving troopers a solid description of his attacker. This assistance, along with surveillance video and excellent investigative work, led to a quick arrest in this brutal attack,” District Attorney Kevin Hayden stated.
