Jamaica Plain man charged in string of car break-ins and vandalism
BOSTON, April 18, 2024 – A Jamaica Plain man is facing numerous charges in Roxbury BMC and West Roxbury BMC in connection to a string of car break-ins and vandalism in January and March, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
JUSTIN CATERSON, 32, was arraigned in West Roxbury BMC on March 28 for possession of a burglarious instrument, carrying a dangerous weapon (brass knuckles), trespassing, and resisting arrest. Caterson was also charged in a separate case with breaking and entering vehicle/boat nighttime for felony and vandalizing property.
Caterson was ordered held on $500 bail and will return to court on April 23 for pre-trial hearings on both cases. Caterson was then transported to Roxbury BMC to address numerous outstanding warrants.
“There may have been no bodily harm inflicted in these incidents, but bodily harm isn’t the only measure of how crime affects victims and communities. Car break-ins and vandalism certainly take their toll. They violate residents’ sense of security and wellbeing, force them to arrange for time-intensive and sometimes costly repairs, and quite often result in the loss of personal items. These incidents hurt our community, and those behind them, particularly repeat offenders, will be made to answer for their actions,” Hayden said.
At about 8:34 a.m. on March 15, Boston police responded to a vandalism call on Parker Hill Avenue where they discovered two vehicles with shattered windows. Nothing was reported stolen from the vehicles.
At about 12:45 a.m. on March 28, officers were notified that a male, wearing a black hoodie, about 5’9”, smashed a vehicle’s window on Jamaica Street before fleeing the scene.
At about 2:37 a.m. on March 28, Boston police observed a male matching the description of the suspect from Jamaica Street walking through the park across from the Stony Brook MBTA station. As officers approached the male, later identified as Caterson, he fled and attempted to jump over a fence. Caterson refused multiple commands and violently resisted officers before they could safely place him into custody.
Officers recovered brass knuckles, an orange tool typically used to shatter windows, a Swiss army knife with a name not belonging to Caterson inscribed on it, and a Bank of America Card and a Maine ID that also did not belong to Caterson, from his cross body bag.
Caterson was arraigned in Roxbury BMC on March 29 after being transported from West Roxbury BMC for seven other separate incidents occurring between January 5 and March 24. Caterson was charged with 11 counts of breaking and entering vehicle/boat nighttime for felony, five counts of vandalizing property, three counts of larceny under $1,200, and trespassing.
Caterson was ordered held on $1,750 bail and to stay away from each location. He is due back in Roxbury BMC on May 14 for pre-trial hearings on those seven cases. The charges stem from the following incidents:
On January 5, police responded to Vancouver Street, behind the Wentworth College campus. A woman reported that someone smashed her driver’s side window and took a black bag containing $300 in cash, medical insurance cards, a gift card, charging cables, a portable charger, clothing, and a hygiene kit.
At about 8:07 a.m. on January 15, a man reported damages to the front and back passenger side windows of his vehicle on Wayland Street in Dorchester.
At about 10:13 a.m. on January 15, officers responded to Dale Street and spoke to five people who all had damage to their vehicle’s windows. One person reported a missing android cellphone.
On January 22, officers took a report from a woman who said she parked her vehicle in the Westminster Court Apartments lot and found her driver’s side window shattered and her portable car jumper missing on January 19.
On January 22, officers met with man who stated he heard his car alarm go off around 7:30 a.m. and found his vehicle’s front passenger window shattered on Copeland Street.
On March 24, officers responded to Judge Street and met with a man who reported his driver’s side window of his vehicle was shattered.
On March 24, officers took a report from a woman who said she had video footage of a male breaking into cars by pulling on doors and breaking windows on Sunset Street between the hours of 1:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. A man reported his front passenger window was broken and $100 cash was stolen from the center console.
Caterson is also facing additional charges in relation to another fourteen motor vehicles that were broken into in the area of Carmel Street, Delle Avenue, and Sewall Street on March 19. Caterson will be arraigned on those charges at a later date in West Roxbury BMC.
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