Haverhill police have arrested two 22-year-old men in connection with an alleged daytime kidnapping near the Bradford commuter rail station, more than a month after masked men were accused of dragging a teenager into a black Ford Edge at gunpoint. Andy Lahens of Everett and Ali Cali of Cambridge now each face charges of kidnapping, armed assault to rob, armed and masked robbery, and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Police said one suspect was taken into custody in Canton and the other in Cambridge, according to WHAV, which first reported the arrests on Wednesday. The Cambridge & Somerville Independent specified that Cali was the man arrested in Cambridge while Lahens was taken into custody in Canton. Both men are 22.
A Chaotic Scene Near the Train Station
The case traces back to August 28, when Haverhill police officers were dispatched to Railroad Avenue just after 5 p.m. after reports that someone had been attacked and pushed into a vehicle, per the same account from WHAV. A witness told police that at least four men were outside a black Ford Edge near the Bradford commuter rail station when two masked men dressed in black dragged a teenager into the car.
Investigators said surveillance footage showed the teenager leaving the north exit of the Beck Apartments and heading toward a parked Mercedes before the confrontation began. Police images reportedly captured three men chasing the teen, with one of them holding what was described as a black handgun with an extended magazine. Two men then grabbed the teenager and forced his arms behind his back, while another man was seen placing a suitcase and bag in the trunk of the Ford Edge, the station's report states.
Driver Nearly Struck the Teen, Police Say
Other police reports indicated that, before the alleged abduction, the Ford Edge's driver almost struck the teenager on the street; the vehicle later pulled away from the parking lot onto Railroad Avenue, according to the same WHAV account. Police reports indicated the teen may have been expected to appear as a witness in a Middlesex Superior Court case, though that detail was attributed only to police reports and has not been independently confirmed elsewhere.
The teenager was initially classified as a missing or endangered person before being located safely the next morning at a relative's home, per WHAV's reporting. NewsLinkLive similarly reported that the two 22-year-olds were arrested on kidnapping, armed assault and other violent-offense charges.
Multiple Agencies Involved in Monthslong Probe
Haverhill police described the investigation as involving significant work over an extended period of time, and said it remains ongoing, according to the Cambridge & Somerville Independent. The outlet reported that the investigation and arrests involved Cambridge and Canton police departments, the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations Team, and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker's office.
NewsLinkLive reported that additional information would be released when appropriate, without compromising the investigation or any pending court proceedings. Haverhill police have not disclosed arraignment dates, bail status or further details on the men's alleged roles in the incident, and the circumstances connecting the victim to the suspects remain unclear.
Under Massachusetts law, armed assault with intent to rob carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, while armed robbery involving a taking—not merely an assault with intent to rob—can carry a sentence of life in prison or any term of years, according to state statute. A related statute notes that offenses committed with a dangerous weapon that result in serious bodily injury can carry a minimum sentence of 25 years, per Massachusetts General Law. It remains unclear how those statutes apply to the specifics of this case.
