Last night around 10:43PM, officers from District B-2 (Roxbury) were in the area of 1547 Tremont Street in the Mission Hill area responding to another call when they observed an individual running behind the Mission Church holding what appeared to be a white bag.
Officers’ attention alerted, they shined their flashlight on the suspect and attempted to stop him in order to further investigate. The suspect continued running despite officers’ commands to stop. Officers pursued the suspect as he continued to elude them by jumping over a wall into a barricaded construction site at 90 Smith Street. As officers pursued the suspect, they observed him dropping a number of items and leaning over to pick up those same items. Numerous units responded to assist the units who initiated the investigation. Those officers surrounded the fenced-in construction site and there saw the suspect drop numerous bills of US currency and continue running into the construction to elude officers.
Officers were able to locate the suspect hiding behind an electrical box and as they approached the suspect and ordered him to get down, he charged at officers at officers while wildly flailing his arms exclaiming, “[Expletive] you!” A sustained and violent struggle ensued between officers and the suspect as officers tried to subdue him. The suspect continued to resist officers until he was finally placed in handcuffs.
Officers then searched the area where the suspect had run to avoid officers and they located numerous US currency bills and metal object in the location where the suspect had initially jumped the wall to get into the construction site. Officers continued their search and were able to find a white cloth filled with large amount of US currency and a few prayer slips inside. Based on the money found, the prayer slips, and the proximity of the incident to the Mission Church, officers decided to further investigate to find out where the suspect had gotten the money and the source of the prayer slips.
Officers then spoke to an officer who reported seeing a light on flashing inside the church shortly before officers observed the suspect running behind the church. Officers then notified church personnel who responded and conducted an inspection of the church. Based on this inspection and conversation with church staff, officers learned that a prayer meeting/group had taken place around 8:00PM after which the doors were locked and the money put away; however church staff discovered the prayer offering metal box had been pried open and the money was missing. Officers then found that a bolt they had located by the money when they first located the suspect belonged to a bolt to the door of the church.
The suspect, Timothy Carlson, 50 of Boston was arrested and charged with Breaking and Entering in the Nighttime, Larceny Over $250, Possession of Burglarious Tools, Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Trespassing, Failure to Register as A Sex Offender and a being a Common and Notorious Thief.