Man charged with stabbing 74-year-old on MBTA bus held without bail
BOSTON, September 18, 2024 – A Somerville man with a pending assault and battery case was found dangerous and is being held without bail after being charged with stabbing a 74-year-old passenger on an MBTA bus in Roxbury last week, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
MAALIK ABDUR-RASHEED, 47, of Somerville, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife) and assault to murder. Judge David Breen found Abdur-Rasheed dangerous after a hearing Monday and ordered him held without bail. Abdur-Rasheed will likely face additional charges due to the victim’s age. He will return to court on October 22 for a probable cause hearing.
Abdur-Rasheed has a pending case in Roxbury, in which he is being charged with stabbing a stranger in 2023. His bail in that case has also been revoked.
At about 7:30 p.m. on September 11, Boston police responded to 2000 Columbus Avenue for a person stabbed on a bus. Upon arrival officers observed an MBTA Transit police officer rendering aid to a male, suffering from a stab wound to the neck.
A witness provided officers with a video that shows the victim, 74, in a physical altercation with another male, later identified as Abdur-Rasheed. In the video, a knife is observed in Abdur-Rasheed’s right hand and he can be seen making multiple lunging motions toward the victim. Another video shows the aftermath with Abdur-Rasheed exiting the bus and the victim bleeding onto the floor of the bus.
The victim was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Officers located Abdur-Rasheed, matching the description and clothing depicted in the videos, about three blocks away in the area of Walnut Avenue and arrested him without incident.
“It’s terrible that the victim suffered this brutal attack and that passengers witnessed it, but I thank those witnesses who were alert enough to capture the suspect on video, which helped police apprehend him so quickly. Safe public transit is vitally important to our city and actions like this are intolerable,” 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