Boston teen charged with October armed robbery held without bail

BOSTON, January 22, 2024 – A Boston teen is being held without bail after a dangerousness hearing today in Roxbury BMC for his role in an armed robbery of a juvenile back in October, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

HAYDEN VITAL-ST.LOUIS, 18, was arraigned Thursday and held pending today’s hearing for armed and masked robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon (firearm), and threat to commit a crime.

Judge Maureen Flaherty found Vital-St. Louis dangerous and ordered him held without bail. Vital-St. Louis will return to court on February 13 for a probable cause hearing.

At about 4:59 p.m. on October 25, 2023, Boston police responded to a robbery in the area of Robin Hood Street in Dorchester. Officers met with a 14-year-old boy who stated he was riding his scooter with a friend after school when they were approached by a group of three males and two females.

The group, also on scooters, joined the victim and his friend and made several attempts to force them down unfamiliar streets and driveways with no cameras. The victim, concerned for their safety, told his friend to drive off and he would stay. One of the males in the group stayed back and gave the others a nod before they continued to follow the victim.

A male riding a white scooter, later identified as Vital-St. Louis, asked the victim to exchange Snapchat accounts. As the victim began to take off, Vital-St. Louis grabbed the victim’s scooter and a second male pulled out a black gun with an extended magazine and a gold switch and pointed it at the victim’s head. Vital-St. Louis also had a gun and told the victim “I will kill you right now if you move.” One of the females pushed the victim off his scooter, grabbed his backpack and placed it on her back. The second female got on the victim’s scooter after pushing him as well. The two females fled the scene on the victim’s scooter.

Vital-St. Louis and the second male held the victim at gunpoint while making him remove his jacket, sweatpants, sneakers, and phone. They demanded the victim’s phone passcode and when one of them typed it in wrong, the other gestured as if he was going to punch the victim. They then fled toward Howard Avenue. The victim ran to a nearby house and asked for help. A witness who observed the robbery in process had already called 911.

The victim’s mother later provided investigators with a CashApp transaction of $25 that was sent from the victim’s phone the day after the robbery to an account linked to Vital-St. Louis. Based on this transaction, Snapchat information and video surveillance, investigators were able to identify Vital-St. Louis as the male on the white scooter. The investigation of the incident is ongoing.

 “This behavior is despicable—not to mention extremely frightening for a 14-year-old to experience. I am thankful the young victim was not physically harmed and for the diligent investigative work that got us here. This is another example of how useful digital tools can be in these types of cases,” 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