West Roxbury man charged with indecent and lewd conduct in two MBTA incidents

BOSTON, June 9, 2023 – A man is facing indecent assault and other charges after being arraigned Tuesday in West Roxbury BMC for separate MBTA incidents on the same day, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

RUFUS SANDERS JR., 63, of West Roxbury was charged with indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and lewd, wanton and lascivious conduct. Judge Margaret Albertson set bail at $750 and ordered Sanders to stay away from the victims and the Forest Hills Station. Sanders will return to court on June 30 for a pre-trial hearing.

At about 6.00 p.m. on May 25, Transit and Boston police met with a woman who reported that a man, wearing a camouflage bucket hat, a white long-sleeve shirt, and gray pants, later identified as Sanders, approached her at Forest Hills Station. Sanders placed his right hand on her shoulder then moved his hand down, cupping her breast. Sanders then moved his hand to her waist, attempting to pull her in. She pushed him out of the way and moved toward a crowded area. While standing in a crowd of passengers, Sanders attempted to grab her again, causing another passenger to intervene.

As the victim got on a bus, Sanders came up behind her and grabbed her bag to pull her off. She was able to break free and board the bus. She walked toward the front of the bus to get away while Sanders headed to the back of the bus. The victim then heard another woman in the back of the bus yell “stop grabbing my ass.” The victim was able to take a picture of Sanders as he got off at the Roslindale Square stop.

The next day, police met with a witness who said she observed a man harassing two young girls on the bus on May 26. When she yelled for the man to stop, he sat across from her, spread his legs and fondled his crotch area with his hand, while staring at her. She recorded the incident and showed the video to investigators. After reviewing the footage, investigators recognized the man in the video to be Sanders, wearing the same clothing as described by the first victim.

On June 5, a man holding an open beer container approached officers at the Forest Hills Station and attempted to start a conversation with them. Officers immediately recognized Sanders from the images provided by both victims. Sanders was also wearing the same camouflage bucket hat from the May 25 incidents and identified himself in a still photo provided by one of the victims.

“This individual’s behavior is dangerous and disturbing and impacts the safety realities and perceptions of our many residents who rely on public transportation. I thank police for their work on the case and commend the victims for speaking up to help prevent any future assaults by this individual,” Hayden said.

The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency.  SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020.  SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601.  It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages.

Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901. 

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