Mattapan man held without bail after a series of armed robberies
BOSTON, May 10, 2023 – A Mattapan man is being held without bail after committing a series of armed robberies in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain, District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.
AKEEM A. LAHENS, 32, was arraigned in the Dorchester division of BMC on Monday for armed robbery and three counts of kidnapping. Lahens was ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing today, where Judge Lisa A. Grant found him dangerous and ordered him held without bail until June 8 for a probable cause hearing.
On May 4 at approximately 8:00 p.m., Boston police responded to a call for an armed robbery at Dunkin’ Donuts located at 1508 Dorchester Avenue. The suspect, later identified as Lahens had fled the scene prior to police arrival. The victims, all Dunkin’ Donuts employees, told police Lahens ordered a sandwich and a drink, then took two large knives out of his backpack and jumped over the counter and told one of the employees to open the register. Lahens then said “If you don’t open the register, I’m going to kill you” then proceeded to order all three employees into the store’s bathroom. One of the employees called 911 immediately upon exiting the bathroom.
Video surveillance shows Lahens pacing back and forth while watching the store’s entrance. Descriptions given by the victims and obtained by video surveillance matched the descriptions of the suspect in multiple armed robberies over the course of the last several weeks. Two large knives were also reportedly used in those robberies also.
Lahens is also facing charges for the incidents that occurred in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.
“We’re judicious in our requests for dangerousness hearings but those hearings are important in instances like this. Our overarching goal is to protect the community. I am relieved that these victims were not physically hurt and this individual has been apprehended,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s 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.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications