A 62-year-old Dorchester man, James Williams, has been charged with breaking into a Boston University student's apartment and stealing various items, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden's announcement last week. Williams is facing charges that include breaking and entering nighttime for felony and larceny over $1,200, as reported by Suffolk County DA's office.
Ordered to be held on $500 bail by Judge Kenneth Fiandaca, Williams will return to court on April 28 for a pre-trial hearing. Having a 44-page criminal record dating back to the 1980s, the man was arraigned in Roxbury BMC last week. With a track record of related offenses including trespassing and possession of burglarious tools, Williams failed to appear in court for his initial arraignment, prompting the issue of a warrant.
Held on a midsummer night, the actual incident took place at 12:52 a.m. on July 17. Responding to a larceny report, police arrived at an apartment on Baystate Road and were met with a report by a Boston University student who had noticed his belongings missing after a shower. The items taken included an iPad, laptop, and air pods. Luckily, the victim could trace the devices' location, which revealed the stolen goods were still in the nearby vicinity.
When police received a call about an unknown male, who had the victim's backpack and an electric scooter belonging to another student in the same residence, it was later identified that the suspect was Williams. The police were able to recover all items and confirmed they indeed belonged to the students. Noticing an open window which is usually kept closed for security purposes, it suggested how the intruder might have gained entry.
During his encounter with officers, Williams complained about head pain and discomfort, requesting medical attention. "While no one was physically hurt in this case, these scenarios are always unpredictable because you never know what’s going to happen if an intruder encounters someone inside. Luckily that didn’t happen here. I thank our law enforcement partners who worked together to find the suspect," Hayden said, in a statement obtained by the Suffolk County DA's office.
