Suspect Held in Mission Hill Sexual Assault

BOSTON, Oct. 14, 2016—A Salem man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Mission Hill park was held without bail for allegedly violating the conditions of his release on an earlier, unrelated case, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSE CEPEDA-IRIZARRY (D.O.B. 11/13/83) was arraigned yesterday in Roxbury Municipal Court on charges of assault with intent to rape and indecent assault and battery. Assistant District Attorney Anna Lusardi recommended that he be held on $50,000 cash bail and that his bail on an open Lynn case charging receiving a stolen motor vehicle be revoked. Judge Pamela Dasheill set bail at $20,000 and revoked his open bail, meaning that he will be held for 60 days.

Lusardi further asked for orders that Cepeda-Iziarry be barred from contact the victim, that he wear a GPS monitor, and that he abide by a curfew if he posts bail. Dashiell granted all of those requests.

The victim, an adult female, reported to Boston Police that a light-skinned man in his mid-30s wearing dark clothing with slicked-back hair and a pony tail sexually assaulted her in Fitzgerald Park as she was walking through it on Saturday afternoon. The man then ran away. Responding officers canvassed the area and did not find the assailant but did locate a civilian witness who reported seeing a man by the same description running away from a woman in the park.

On Oct. 8 and 11, Boston Police released surveillance images depicting a man believed to be the assailant. Yesterday, amid the active investigation into the assault, Cepeda-Iziarry’s lawyer contacted Boston Police and said Cepeda-Iziarry had identified himself as the man in the images and wished to surrender. He did so that afternoon and was taken into custody.

Sexual assault can happen to anyone. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, survivors of sexual violence can also call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options. Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search.

In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault. Suffolk victim-witness advocates can assist in referrals to BARCC and a wide array of non-profit service providers who can offer additional support and services.

Cepeda-Iziarry was represented by attorney Peter Marano and will return to court on Nov. 7.

 

 

–30–

 

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