Dorchester man charged with breaking into college students' apartment, stealing their belongings

BOSTON, April 15, 2025 – A Dorchester man is due back in court this month after being arraigned last week in Roxbury BMC for breaking into a college apartment and stealing the students’ belongings last summer, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.  

JAMES WILLIAMS, 62, of Dorchester was charged with breaking and entering nighttime for felony and larceny over $1,200. 

Judge Kenneth Fiandaca ordered Williams, who has a 44-page criminal record dating back to 1980, held on $500 bail. Williams is due back in court on April 28 for a pre-trial hearing.  

At about 12:52 a.m. on July 17, police responded to a residence on Baystate road for a larceny report. Officers met with a Boston University student who reported that when he returned to his room after taking a shower, he noticed that his backpack, containing his iPad, laptop and air pods, was missing.  

The victim was able to turn on the location finder on his devices and saw that the items were still in the area.  

Officers then received a call about an unknown male, later identified as Williams, nearby on Baystate Road who was in possession of the victim’s backpack. Williams was also in possession of an electric scooter which belonged to another student living in the same residence. Officers were able to verify that all items recovered belonged to the students.  

A third student showed officers an open window on the second floor of the residence. Officers did not see any signs of forced entry. The student told officers the window is always left shut to prevent access. 

While speaking to officers, Williams requested medical attention due to pain and discomfort to his head.  

Williams was summonsed to appear in court on August 27. A warrant was issued when Williams failed to appear for arraignment. 

Williams, who has recently been convicted of related offenses such as trespassing, attempted larceny and possession of burglarious tools, has a 44-page Board of Probation record with many similar offenses.  

“While no one was physically hurt in this case, these scenarios are always unpredictable because you never know what’s going to happen if an intruder encounters someone inside. Luckily that didn’t happen here. I thank our law enforcement partners who worked together to find the suspect,” 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 Communcations