Cambridge

Teen Arrested, Facing Charges in Cambridge Assault

'You think like in Cambridge you’re going to be safe but apparently not'

Cambridge police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly assaulted a woman in Kendall Square late Saturday night.

The teenage suspect, who is not being identified due to his age, was arrested for unarmed robbery and aggravated assault and battery after the assault left the woman unconscious.

The 30-year-old Cambridge woman was found on the Loughery Walkway bleeding from her head around 10:45 p.m., according to police. She told officers that she was walking and talking on the phone when she was hit in the head by a man on a bicycle. The suspect then got away with her purse down the walkway toward Kendall Square.

Police found "useful video surveillance" at a nearby business and began to search for the suspect. A teenage boy wearing clothing that matched the suspect in the video was stopped by a Cambridge police officer on Fifth Street, according to officials. A bike that matched the one in the video was found in the yard of the teenager's apartment, and the victim's property was found in a trash barrel nearby, police said.

Some Cambridge residents say it’s scary to hear of this attack on a well-traveled path with lights along the way.

Caroline Werlang walks the path to get groceries and says she had no idea what she was looking at when she saw a weird stain on the path but learned it was blood from Saturday night’s attack.

“Hearing that a woman got attacked here is really effecting,” she said.

“Normally it’s very quiet I would say,” one man said.

“I generally think of Cambridge as a pretty safe area,” another woman said.

“He doesn’t just try to steal a purse. He tries to damage the person first and hitting them in the head, you can kill somebody doing that,” Bill Brockmeyer said.

“Your parents always tell you that as a young girl that you can’t walk by yourself at night and you think like in Cambridge you’re going to be safe but apparently not,” Werlang said.

The victim was brought to a local hospital with a severe cut over her eye.

Police say the teenage suspect also had a double-edge knife on him, and he’ll be charged with possession of a deadly weapon, as well. It’s unclear when he’ll be arraigned.

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