A Massachusetts man who broke into a Boston home and sexually assaulted a woman was found guilty Friday.
Washington Pearson, a 56-year-old Lynn man, was arrested in Virginia on Nov. 29, 2022. He was wanted in an incident that took place Oct. 24 of that year in Jamaica Plain.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office says Pearson used a screwdriver to break into an apartment where two women lived on Arborway. One of them was home at the time.
Prosecutors say he strangled the woman until she was unconscious, and she woke to find her pants and underwear had been removed.
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"Pearson strangled her a second time and left her apartment after stealing her phone and jewelry," as well as some of her roommate's property, the district attorney's office said in a press release.
A jury convicted Pearson of all charges, including two counts of strangulation, assault with intent to rape, indecent assault and battery, armed robbery, armed assault in a dwelling, larceny from a building and armed breaking and entering during the daytime putting a person in fear, prosecutors said.
Pearson represented himself at his trial. The district attorney's office noted that there are 197 prior entries on his criminal record since 1987.
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"This was an extraordinarily frightening experience for the victim, and she showed great courage to come forward and tell jurors what happened in her apartment that day," District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. "Her words, along with the testimony of other witnesses and the diligent work of investigators, helped lead the jury to their verdict."
