On Sunday, July 26, 2026, at approximately 1:20 a.m., officers assigned to District B-3 (Mattapan/Dorchester) arrested Eric Cruz, 37, of Dorchester, in the area of Blue Hill Avenue and Wales Street following a foot pursuit that ended with the recovery of a loaded firearm.
Officers were patrolling the area as part of an increased presence tied to the Puerto Rican Festival, which draws large crowds of pedestrians and motorists to the neighborhood each summer. The patrol was also part of an ongoing response to community complaints about large groups of mopeds, scooters, and other off-road recreational vehicles gathering and operating recklessly on city streets.
While driving through the area, officers observed two mopeds stopped on the sidewalk near Blue Hill Avenue and Wales Street. Neither vehicle displayed a registration plate, one operator was not wearing a helmet, and one moped’s headlight was not functioning. As officers approached to investigate, they observed the operator, later identified as Cruz, adjusting the right side of his waistband, a motion officers recognized as consistent with someone carrying a concealed weapon.
Both individuals fled on foot. Officers pursued Cruz, who continued to adjust his waistband as he ran. While running down Esmond Street, Cruz removed an object from his waistband and threw it into the front yard of a nearby residence. Officers reported hearing a metallic sound as the object struck the building. Cruz continued running into a nearby driveway, where officers deployed a department-issued taser to safely take him into custody.
Officers recovered a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol, along with a loaded magazine and additional ammunition, in the yard where the object had been thrown. Boston EMS responded and transported Cruz to a local hospital for evaluation before he was taken into custody..
Cruz faces the following charges out of Dorchester District Court:
- Carrying a firearm without a license, loaded (fourth offense)
- Possession of ammunition without an FID card (subsequent offense)
- Firearm violation with three prior violent or drug-related convictions
- Carrying a firearm without a license (fourth offense)
- Trespassing
- Operating an unregistered motor vehicle
- Recreational vehicle helmet violation
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