BOSTON, Sept. 24, 2012—The Suffolk County Grand Jury last week returned indictments against five people accused of beating a mentally disabled man at an MBTA station last month, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

The indictments charge KAREN MARIE AKIBA (D.O.B. 5/30/90) of Somerville, IVAN P. BACAI (D.O.B. 4/25/89) of Malden, MARYANNE HAMILTON (D.O.B. 10/24/83) of Jamaica Plain, GERMAIL JOHNSON (D.O.B. 1/19/84) of Dorchester, and BYRON H. LASHUS (D.O.B. 7/31/80) of Watertown with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – shod foot – and assault and battery on a disabled person causing bodily injury.

Bacai and Johnson each face an additional charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly striking the victim with a belt and traffic cone, respectively.

The incident is believed to have taken place on the southbound Orange Line platform at Downtown Crossing station at about 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 27. After an initial – and, authorities say, innocuous – verbal exchange between Hamilton and the 40-year-old victim, who is being treated for schizoaffective disorder, the defendants surrounded the man and beat him badly.

After reviewing surveillance footage, MBTA Transit Police recognized Hamilton from prior interactions and began searching for her in Harvard Square. They didn’t find her, but did find Akiba and Lashus and took them into custody on Aug. 27. Hamilton was arrested at the Boston Municipal Court the next day when she appeared for their arraignment. Johnson and Bacai were identified and arrested in the days that followed.

Akiba’s bail was set at $2,000 and Lashus was released on his own recognizance after his attorney represented to the court that he was assisting in the investigation. Hamilton had her bail set at $4,500 and her bail on an unrelated case in Brookline was revoked at her own arraignment on Aug. 29. Bacai and Johnson were each held on $10,000 bail at their Aug. 30 arraignment. Bacai also had his bail on a stabbing in Cambridge revoked.

The defendants are expected to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Oct. 9.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.