Last night the Safe Street Team assigned to Downtown Crossing chased down and captured two thieves believed to be committing numerous robberies in the area of Boston Common.
At approximately 7:14pm, Safe Street Team officers Paul Sanders and Robert Dirienzo were walking their beat on the Boston Common. Officers Sanders and Dirienzo were aware of recent robberies in the area involving two Black males. At that time, the vigilant officers observed two Black males running through the Common with a third male in pursuit. The third male ran towards the officers and informed them that he had just been robbed by the two males. Officers asked the victim if the suspects had a weapon. The victim informed the officers that the suspects had a knife.
The Safe Street Team officers gave immediate chase while commanding the suspects to stop. Ignoring commands, the suspects continued to flee into Park Street Train Station with officers in pursuit. Officers caught up to the suspects at the bottom of the stairs in front of the train turnstile. A brief struggle ensued between an officer and one of the suspects before successfully placing both in custody. Shortly thereafter, both suspects were positively identified by the victim. Officers recovered both the stolen property and the knife from the suspects.
The suspects are identified as Tommy Gedeus, 20, of Boston and Christian Ruiz, 18, of Boston. Both have been charged with Armed Robbery and Resisting Arrest. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected.
An immediate investigation revealed that the suspects approached and engaged two victims, who were in the area of the War Memorial statue. It was then that suspect Gedeus pulled out a knife and took one victim’s cell phone. At that point, Gedeus went through the victim’s pockets removing an Ipod. Suspect Ruiz went through the second victim’s pockets, taking his wallet and then returning it after removing the money. Both suspects then fled and were quickly caught by officers.
After the arrest, the suspects were subsequently interviewed by A-1 detectives. The preliminary investigation indicates that Gedeus and Ruiz are responsible for numerous other robberies in the area. The investigation is ongoing and charges are anticipated.
Police Commissioner Edward Davis stated, “This incident is a prime example of the effectiveness of our Safe Street Teams and the department’s strategy of ensuring that officers are out of cruisers and walking the beat. I would like to commend the Downtown Crossing Safe Street Team for their ongoing dedication to the safety and security of Boston residents and visitors who seek to enjoy the atmosphere and activity that Downtown Crossing and the Boston Common has to offer.”