Dangerousness Hearing for Man Charged with Raping Sleeping Woman at MBTA Station
BOSTON, November 15, 2021— The man accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a woman inside an MBTA train station is held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing thanks to members of the public who helped Transit Police identify the assailant, District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.
LUIS SALINAS-IBANEZ, 33, of Revere was arraigned today in the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court on a charge of rape. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Nucci, Supervising Attorney of the DA’s prosecution team assigned to the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court, requested that Mr. Salinas-Ibanez be held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing under MGL 276 Section 58a. He additionally reserved the Commonwealth’s right to argue for bail in the event the court does not find Mr. Salinas-Ibanez dangerous under the statute. Judge Eleanor Sinnott granted the Commonwealth’s request to have Mr. Salinas-Ibanez held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing, which will take place on November 22, 2021.
ADA Nucci told the court that an employee of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation/MBTA Security and Management team observed live stream video surveillance from State Street MBTA station capturing a male sexually assault a woman as she was sleeping inside the station shortly after midnight on November 13, 2021. The employee immediately contacted MBTA Transit Police.
Responding officers located the victim inside the station. She reported that she had awoken multiple times to a male pulling down her pants and touching her without consent. She was able to provide a description of the man before being transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Video footage of the assault captured the victim as she entered the station and lay down on the floor to sleep shortly before 10:30 p.m. on November 12, 2021. Minutes later, the assailant entered the station. The surveillance camera captured him sexually assaulting the victim multiple times over a period of two hours.
A still image of the assailant was publicly released on November 13, 2021, at approximately 10:14 a.m., as part of efforts by law enforcement to identify him. In response to those images, Transit Police received information from the public that helped identify Mr. Salinas-Ibanez and his place of employment.
Officers located Mr. Salinas-Ibanez at his workplace at 12:19 p.m. – two hours after the release of the surveillance image. He allegedly made statements to police identifying himself in the security footage.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who acted swiftly to protect this sleeping victim of sexual assault and to hold the assailant accountable. The MassDOT/MBTA employee who witnessed the assault immediately called for help, allowing for a swift response from responding officers. Further investigation and the caring and dedicated services of law enforcement professionals, including people working in my office, notified the community of an unknown rapist and the community responded immediately. Brave members of the public shared what they knew with police and this individual was placed under arrest and removed from the community,” District Attorney Rollins said. “It is not easy for sexual assault victims to disclose the details of their attack. Talking about what happened can be retraumatizing. Watching a video of someone violating you can be triggering. The victim in this case was sleeping when she was sexually assaulted. Women should be free to walk the streets, use public transportation, sleep, take an uber, go to dinner, have a drink, celebrate their birthday, go to work, play a sport, get an education and simply live and exist without fear of sexual discrimination, objectification, harassment, assault, or rape. This is not a woman’s issue. This is overwhelmingly a men’s issue. Men need to start being proactive and speaking up when they see sexually inappropriate, assaultive, or violent behavior. Only then will we start combatting this significant problem. I want to make sure that all survivors of violence, including sexual assault in Suffolk County know that there are resources and services available to them – up to and including prosecution of their attackers. My office is committed to ensuring that all victims have access to the services they deserve and are entitled to.”
Sexual assault can happen to anyone. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, survivors of sexual violence can also call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options. Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search.
In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault. Suffolk victim-witness advocates can assist in referrals to BARCC and a wide array of non-profit service providers who can offer additional support and services.
Mr. Salinas-Ibanez is represented by attorney Stephen Gomes.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.