What started as a report of a stolen car out of Mattapan turned into a lengthy, multi-agency chase that ended in Roxbury with a 16-year-old under arrest and a loaded handgun off the street, according to Boston police. The Youth Violence Strike Force took the juvenile into custody, and officials are framing the arrest as part of ongoing efforts to get illegal guns out of city neighborhoods.
According to the Boston Police Department, members of the Youth Violence Strike Force recovered a Glock 19 Gen5 loaded with 12 rounds at 41 Fulda Street and arrested a 16-year-old who police say is from Roslindale. Investigators say the juvenile fled from Massachusetts State Police and Revere police in the stolen vehicle, ditched the car near 25 Fulda Street, removed his electronic monitoring device, and tried to hide in a wooded area behind 227 Highland Street before a BPD K-9 helped track him down.
The department said there was already an outstanding warrant for the teen and that he is expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court on multiple firearm-related delinquency charges. Police say the investigation is still active.
How the pursuit ended
Police say the stolen vehicle was tracked to the area of 25 Fulda Street in Roxbury, where the suspect allegedly bailed out and ran. Officers followed him into a nearby wooded lot, with the department’s K-9 unit helping locate and take him into custody.
Officers then recovered the loaded Glock 19 Gen5 at 41 Fulda Street and processed the scene, according to the department’s summary. Authorities described the response as a lengthy, coordinated effort that pulled in both state and local law enforcement partners.
Strike force activity and scrutiny
According to the Boston Police Department, the Youth Violence Strike Force has made multiple firearm recoveries in Roxbury and nearby neighborhoods this spring during targeted patrols with state partners. The unit often teams up with the Massachusetts State Police and other bureaus on street-level enforcement, the department’s site shows.
At the same time, the unit’s work has been drawing scrutiny. Civil-rights advocates have raised concerns about its practices, and the Massachusetts attorney general opened a review in 2023 after complaints about racial bias in the department’s gang database, as WGBH reported.
Recent gun incidents in Roxbury
Roxbury has seen a run of ShotSpotter alerts and gun arrests in recent weeks, including a firearm recovery tied to an April ShotSpotter activation and an early-April shootout that led to multiple arrests and ballistic evidence, local reporting shows. A recent ShotSpotter gun bust and coverage from Boston 25 have detailed several of those cases and the follow-up investigations.
What happens next
Boston police say the juvenile in the Fulda Street case is expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court on firearm-related delinquency charges, and detectives are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information can submit tips anonymously through the department’s CrimeStoppers program or contact Boston Police directly. For tip options and more details, see the Boston Police Department.
