A Connecticut man accused of setting a Boston police cruiser on fire during an illegal street takeover in October was arraigned in Roxbury Tuesday.
David Moran-Chavez, 19, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was arrested at his home in Connecticut Thursday. He faces several charges including burning a motor vehicle and unlawful possession of fireworks. A prosecutor told the judge that Moran-Chavez wore a clown mask as he threw some fireworks onto the cruiser. The District Attorney’s Office said there was an officer in the vehicle at the time.
“That officer saw the smoke and was luckily able to get out of the cruiser and remove his belongings before the cruiser became engulfed in flames,” said Proseuctor Lisa Deacutis. “The fire originated in between the space in the hood and the windshield of said cruiser.”
The street takeover happened early in the morning on October 5 at Massachusetts Avenue and Tremont Street in Boston’s South End. Police have videos capturing people throwing poles, traffic cones, and fireworks during the event.
Two teenagers from Rhode Island were arrested earlier in the investigation.
A prosecutor said detectives went through hours of video and were able to determine Moran-Chavez was the man behind the clown mask. The Commonwealth said detectives tracked him through his cellphone, then got a search warrant for a home in Connecticut where Moran-Chavez had been living with his aunt.
“Police recovered the same clown mask pictured in the video and photos, clothing depicted in the video and photos, as well as a bag with fireworks inside,” said Deacutis.
Prosecutors said they have evidence Moran-Chavez took part in more street takeovers after the incident in the South End.
The District Attorney’s Office argued for $40,000 bail even though the teenager has no criminal record. Deacutis noted that Moran-Chavez lives out of state and took steps to conceal his identity to avoid being caught.
“The defendant came from Connecticut to Boston to commit this crime,” said Deacutis. “He did so while masked.”
Moran-Chavez’s court appointed attorney noted he lives with his aunt, works part-time as a landscaper, and is willing to abide by an overnight curfew with GPS monitoring. He said Moran-Chavez can afford a maximum of $500.
“$40,000 bail for a 19-year-old is akin to holding him without bail,” said Pranav Nanda, Moran-Chavez’s lawyer.
The judge settled on $2,000 cash bail.
The Suffolk County District Attorney said more arrests in connection to this street takeover could be made.
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