Two alleged associates of the youth charged with murdering 18-year-old Alex Sierra were arraigned this morning for allegedly intimidating witnesses while waiting for his arraignment, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DERRICK HUNT (D.O.B. 4/15/90) of Roxbury and JOSE MAYSONET (D.O.B. 6/28/92) of Boston’s South End were both arraigned on witness intimidation charges at the Central Division of the Edward Brooke Courthouse – the same building in which their alleged cohorts, RICARDO ARIAS (D.O.B. 10/22/93) and a 16-YEAR-OLD JUVENILE, were arraigned in connection with Sierra’s Sept. 3 murder.

Assistant District Attorney Katherine Powell recommended that Hunt and Maysonet each be held on $2500 cash bail, be ordered to stay away from the victims, and be ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device with a curfew if they post bail. Powell further recommended that Hunt’s bail on an open Roxbury court case charging him with assault and battery on a police officer be revoked.

Boston Municipal Court Judge Annette Forde released both men on personal recognizance but revoked Hunt’s open bail and placed Maysonet on a GPS device with an 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. curfew. She additionally ordered Maysonet not to go anywhere but his place of employment, not to leave work for any reason during the day, and to stay away from the Villa Victoria housing development.

Forde also granted a motion by Powell to protect the victims’ identities and personal information.
Hunt was arrested at about 12:45 p.m. as Aria’s juvenile co-defendant was being arraigned in the Boston Juvenile Court as an accessory after the fact to Sierra’s murder. A witness whose identity is being withheld for safety reasons approached a Boston Police homicide detective and told him that Hunt, an alleged associate of Arias and other gang members based in Mission Hill, said, “Someone else is going to die today.” Hunt and two apparent associates allegedly began to repeat that phrase.

The homicide detective approached the group of three, at which point two fled the courthouse. Hunt refused to identify himself and was taken into custody.

At about 2:00, as Arias himself was about to be arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court one flight up, a witness whose identity is being withheld for safety reasons approached a court officer of another incident. Maysonet – also allegedly affiliated with Arias and Mission Hill gang members – allegedly made eye contact with the witness, extended his right index finger, and drew it from ear to ear across his neck in what the witness perceived to be a threat. Maysonet also allegedly made gang signs with his hand during the incident.

Courthouse security notified members of the Boston Police Youth Violence Strike Force, who were present at the scene. Officers took Maysonet into custody.

“No one – not a victim, not a witness, not a family member, not anyone – should have to endure threats and intimidation, and least of all in a courthouse,” Conley said. “Let’s make one thing clear: we have two groups of people here. One of them is honest, hardworking, and committed to a vibrant community. The other is shamefully small-minded and violent. While a family – and a city – reeled from Alex Sierra’s murder, a group of thugs shows up at court to make threats and gang signs. It’s repugnant and it only strengthens our resolve to find justice for Alex, his family, and the good and decent people of Boston.”
Hunt was represented by attorney Rachel Self and will return to court on Oct. 4. Maysonet was represented by attorney Paul Mishkin and will return to court on Sept. 30.