Cambridge Police Make an Arrest Following Investigation into February 14th Incident
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 16, 2019 – The Cambridge Police Department has made an
arrest involving the kidnaping of two sisters in the Pleasant Street area on
February 14, 2019.
At 7:25AM this morning, Cambridge Police Officers patrolling the Central Square
area, placed 52-year-old Lionel Ivan Brathwaite Jr, (homeless) of Cambridge,
under arrest on a Cambridge District Court warrant for two counts of
kidnapping. The warrant was issued on February 15th resulting
from the ongoing investigation into the kidnapping of two sisters in the Pearl
Street area on February 14th.
Separately, the Cambridge Police Department continues to investigate a report
by the mother of a 17-year-old daughter, regarding an unknown man that had
followed her home from Central Square on February 3rd.
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 15, 2019 – Update: As part of
the Cambridge Police Department's continued investigation into an incident on
February 13th, please find a link to video surveillance of the two
pre-teenagers and suspect walking down Williams Street on Wednesday night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scdDrfh4FUk.
Additionally, we have attached a map of their walking route. In particular, we
are looking to speak to any individuals who may have walked by the victims and
suspect during their route.
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 14, 2019 – The Cambridge Police Department wants to inform the
community that it is actively investigating and seeking to identify suspects
from two separate incidents, in which young women were reportedly approached by
strangers in Cambridge.
Last night, two sisters (who are pre-teenagers) were walking home together at
approximately 5:15-5:30 p.m. and were reportedly approached by a man they had
not seen before in the area of Pleasant Street and Auburn Street. The suspect
asked for directions and grabbed one of the sisters by the arm. He then
proceeded to walk with the sisters down several streets and then stopped at
what was believed to be Salem Street. After asking the sisters if they wanted
to go down an alley with him, the sisters said no, the suspect stated he was
sorry and he then removed his hands from one of the sisters. They both then ran
towards their home. The suspect was described as a black male, approximately
40-50 years old, approximately 5’8”. He reportedly smelled of alcohol and was
wearing a black jacket and beanie hat.
Separately, a mother of a 17-year-old daughter, reported yesterday that on
February 3rd an unknown man had
followed her daughter home from Central Square. The same man reportedly
attempted to approach her daughter a year ago at her work and while she was
walking home from school. He was described as a white or light-skinned male
with a noticeable scar on his head. He is also bald and drives a black motor
vehicle.
The Cambridge Police are actively investigating both of these incidents. Extra
patrols and a non-uniformed presence has been deployed to the areas on these
incidents and the Department is working closely with the families and school
department on each of these
incidents.
Anyone with any
information related to these ongoing investigations are asked to call Cambridge
Police at 617-349-3300. Those who wish to provide information anonymously may
dial the Cambridge Police Anonymous Crime Tip Hotline at 617-349-3359 and leave
a message. Anonymous tips may also be sent via the Cambridge Police MyPD
mobile app or via text message to 847411. Begin your text with TIP650 and then
type your message. To send anonymous tips via email, visit www.CambridgePolice.org/Tips.
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The National Crime Prevention
Council recommends several tips on talking to children about strangers:
·
Explain to your child that a
stranger is anyone who your family doesn’t know well. It is common for children
to think that “bad strangers” look scary, which is not only untrue, but
dangerous for children to think this way. Tell your child that no one can tell
if strangers are nice or not nice just by looking at them, and they should be
careful around all people they don’t know.
·
Don’t make it seem like all
strangers are bad. Teach your child about safe strangers and adults they can
trust — police officers, firefighters, teachers, principals and librarians.
Also show your child places they can go if they need help, such as local
stores, restaurants and the homes of family friends in your neighborhood.
·
Teach your child to be wary
of potentially dangerous situations and the warning signs of suspicious
behavior, like when an adult asks them to disobey their parents or do something
without their permission, asks them to keep a secret, asks children for help,
or makes them feel uncomfortable in any way.
·
Talk to your children about
how they should handle potentially dangerous situations. You can use the “No,
Go, Yell, Tell,” saying, which teaches children to say no, run away, yell as
loud as they can, and tell a trusted adult what happened right away if they
feel threatened by a stranger.
In addition to teaching children how to recognize and handle dangerous
situations and strangers, there are other things that parents can do to help
their children stay safe:
·
Know where your children are
at all times. Make it a rule that children must ask permission or check in
with you before going anywhere. Give your children both your work and cell
phone numbers so they can reach you at all times.
·
Point out safe
places. Show your children safe places to play, safe roads and paths to
take and safe places to go if there’s trouble.
·
Teach children to trust their
instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they
should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. Tell them that sometimes
adults they know may make them feel uncomfortable, and they should still get
away and tell another adult what happened. Reassure your child that you will
always help them when they need it.
·
Teach your children to be
assertive. Make sure they know that it’s okay to say no to an adult and to
run away from adults in dangerous situations.
·
Encourage your children to
play with others. There is safety in numbers.
For more
resources and information about talking to your children about strangers, visit
the National Crime Prevention Council website.
###
Alert sent on
02/16/2019 at 11:02AM EST
To submit a tip via text message text
TIP650
and your tip to 847411
Alert delivered to the following groups:
Cambridge PD Citywide, Business Alerts, Press Releases, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 1 - East Cambridge, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 3 - Inman/Harrington, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 4 - The Port, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 5 - Cambridgeport, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 6 - Mid-Cambridge, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 7 - Riverside, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 8 - Agassiz, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 9 - Peabody, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 10 - West Cambridge, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 11 - North Cambridge, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 12 - Cambridge Highlands, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 13 - Strawberry Hill, Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 2 - M.I.T., Private - Harvard Square Business Association, Private - Central Square Business Association, Private - Inman Square Business Association, Private - East Cambridge Business Association, Private - Kendall Square Business Association, Private - Cambridge Public Safety Association, Private - Cambridge Hotels, Private - Cambridge Banks, Private - Cambridge Biotechs, Private - Porter Square Business Association, Private - Cambridge Higher Ed, Private - Cambridge Gov't, Private - Cambridge Security, Private - Cambridge Real Estate, Private - Cambridge Retail, Private - CPSA Master, and Private - Cambridge Charter and Private Schools
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