By Tiffany Williams –
A string of violent crimes, firearm arrests, homicide investigations and major enforcement actions across Boston and Worcester has put police activity under an intense spotlight this week, with multiple murder suspects taken into custody, teenagers accused of carrying loaded guns and officers recovering firearms, drugs and cash in several separate investigations.
Boston Police announced the arrest of Billy Thien Huynh, 23, of Boston, in connection with the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Victor Armani Arias Rivera of South Boston.
Huynh was arrested at about 1:40 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, by officers assigned to District B-2 in Roxbury following an investigation by the Boston Police Homicide Unit.
He is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on charges of murder, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and possession of ammunition without an FID card.
The charges are allegations, and Huynh is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Police said the case began at about 10:14 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, when officers responded to a report of a person shot near 564 Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester.
Officers found Arias Rivera suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Boston Police Homicide Unit continues reviewing the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
That arrest came as Boston Police also announced the capture of another murder suspect wanted in connection with a separate deadly shooting in Dorchester.
At approximately 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit arrested Hensly Dominique Jeanty, 32, of Dorchester, on a straight warrant issued from Dorchester District Court.
Jeanty is facing charges of murder, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, carrying a loaded firearm without a license and carrying a firearm without a license.
Those charges stem from the July 15 killing of 29-year-old Breidy Martinez of Dorchester.
Police said officers assigned to District B-3 in Mattapan responded at approximately 11:53 a.m. that day to a report of a person shot near 15 York Street in Dorchester.
Martinez was found suffering from a gunshot wound.
Boston EMS responded and pronounced him dead at the scene.
The Homicide Unit continues investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding that killing.
The two murder arrests come against the backdrop of several other major firearm cases unfolding across the city.
In Hyde Park, officers assigned to the Drug Control Unit arrested Kadir Acosta, 22, of Roslindale, after police said a witness reported seeing two men passing a firearm between each other inside a vehicle near 950 American Legion Highway.
Police later located the vehicle after it turned from Washington Street onto Beechland Circle.
After the vehicle parked, officers approached the two occupants, who police said matched descriptions provided by the witness.
Officers focused their attention on Acosta, who was wearing a green fanny pack across his shoulder.
Police conducted an exit order and pat frisk of both occupants.
No weapon was found on the operator during the initial pat frisk, but officers said a search of the operator’s handbag led to the recovery of a pair of black brass knuckles.
Police then conducted a pat frisk of Acosta and said they felt a firearm inside the fanny pack.
Acosta was handcuffed and the weapon was secured.
Investigators said an inquiry showed that Acosta did not possess a license to carry firearms.
Detectives later identified the gun as a black SCCY Industries CPX-2 9mm handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition.
Acosta is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card.
The vehicle operator is expected to be summoned to court on a charge of carrying a dangerous weapon.
Those allegations will be tested in court, and both defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Boston Police are also continuing their investigation into a mass shooting in Hyde Park that left one person dead and four others wounded.
At approximately 12:38 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3, District 18 officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area of 1184 Hyde Park Avenue.
Police said they found five adults suffering from gunshot wounds.
All five were transported to local hospitals.
One of the victims, Ky Mani Korey Reynolds, 26, of Dorchester, was later pronounced dead.
Homicide detectives arrested Oliver Derima, 27, of Randolph, and charged him with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Derima is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury Court.
The Boston Police Homicide Unit continues investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Another homicide investigation remains active in East Boston.
At about 1:24 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, officers assigned to District A-7 responded to a report of a person shot near 464 Meridian Street.
Police found 21-year-old Joseph Gabriel Lucas Gomez of East Boston suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
No arrest was announced in the information provided, and detectives continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding the killing.
The violence has not been limited to homicide investigations.
Boston Police also announced the arrest of 19-year-old Xavian Alvarado of Hyde Park following an armed robbery investigation near Beechland Circle.
Police said District E-5 officers responded at 6:13 p.m. Aug. 4 after receiving a report of an armed robbery.
Three male victims flagged officers down and reported that they had been approached by a group of six to seven males.
The victims told police that one person in the group was armed with a firearm.
They described the armed suspect as a short, light-skinned male wearing black pants, a purple sweatshirt, a black camouflage-style mask and a black backpack.
They also described the gun as silver and said it had several stickers on it.
Police said the victims reported that a cell phone and a large amount of U.S. currency had been taken.
Officers broadcast a description and direction of travel over police radio.
Another group of officers later saw a male near Blue Ledge Drive who police said matched the description.
That person was identified as Alvarado.
Police said a pat frisk led to the recovery of a firearm from his front right waistband.
Officers also said Alvarado had a cell phone and a large amount of U.S. currency.
Detectives processed the firearm and identified it as a silver-and-black Smith & Wesson SD40 VE loaded with 14 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition, including one round in the chamber.
Alvarado is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court on charges of armed robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a large-capacity firearm and possession of ammunition without an FID card.
The charges are allegations.
Boston Police also intensified enforcement in Downtown Crossing this week as part of an operation targeting shoplifting and quality-of-life crimes affecting Boston Common and nearby retail businesses.
Police said investigators worked with CVS employees to identify multiple individuals suspected of involvement in organized retail crime.
The operation took place between 9 a.m. and noon Thursday, Aug. 6, near the CVS at 631 Washington Street.
Police arrested Edgar Rivera, 39, of Dorchester; Anthony Dejesus-Martinez, 36, of Roxbury; Bobby Mccoullum, 54, of Dorchester; Jaamialle Williams, 52, of Mansfield; and Alvin Whitlow, 71, of Mattapan.
All five are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on shoplifting charges.
Three additional male suspects were issued summonses to appear in Boston Municipal Court on shoplifting charges.
The cases come as police say businesses in Downtown Crossing have continued raising concerns about theft and public safety.
The department said the enforcement effort is part of an attempt to address those complaints while increasing coordination with the retail community.
Boston Police also announced two separate firearm arrests involving juveniles in less than 12 hours.
At approximately 10:40 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, officers assigned to the Youth Violence Strike Force arrested a 17-year-old suspect in Roxbury and recovered a loaded firearm.
Police said officers were patrolling near 62 Forest Street when they saw a large group gathered outside.
Their attention was drawn to one person wearing a camouflage balaclava, black hooded sweatshirt and gray shorts.
Police said the teenager ran after seeing officers and began grabbing the front of his waistband.
Officers chased him through the neighborhood and briefly lost sight of him behind 339 Dudley Street.
They later caught up with him as he emerged from the rear of the property.
Police detained the teen and retraced his path.
Officers said they found a discarded firearm along the route.
The weapon was identified as a .38 Llama Max-I 38 Super L/F handgun loaded with seven rounds of live ammunition.
The 17-year-old, who is from Somerville, is expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court on delinquency charges including carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, receiving an untraceable firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card and trespassing.
Because the suspect is a juvenile, police did not release his name.
Earlier the same day, members of the Youth Violence Strike Force arrested a 14-year-old boy in Jamaica Plain after police said they recovered another loaded handgun.
At about noon Thursday, officers were conducting an ongoing investigation near 612 Centre Street.
Police said they had received information that the juvenile was carrying a firearm.
Officers watched the teen leave his residence and enter a vehicle.
Police followed the vehicle as it traveled on Chestnut Street, turned onto Green Street and then onto Centre Street.
Officers initiated a traffic stop near 612 Centre Street.
Police said the teen appeared to be breathing heavily when officers approached.
He was ordered out of the vehicle and complied.
Officers said they recovered a firearm from the left side of his waistband.
The gun was identified as a Charter Arms .38 Special Undercover handgun loaded with four rounds of live ammunition.
The vehicle operator was identified and released.
Police said another confrontation occurred later during booking when officers attempted to take the juvenile’s cellphone.
According to police, the teen tensed up and pushed an officer during a brief struggle before officers regained control.
The 14-year-old, who is from Jamaica Plain, is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court on delinquency charges including carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, assault and battery on a police officer and vandalism.
Again, the allegations have not been proven in court.
The rapid succession of juvenile firearm arrests underscores a continuing challenge facing investigators assigned to specialized units targeting youth violence.
Both cases involved loaded handguns.
Both unfolded in densely populated Boston neighborhoods.
Both resulted in juveniles facing serious firearm-related allegations.
And both now move into the court system.
The week’s enforcement activity extended beyond Boston.
In Worcester, police arrested 48-year-old Timothy Carpenter of Worcester following a traffic stop Thursday evening.
At approximately 8:34 p.m. Aug. 6, officers assigned to Summer Impact patrol said they saw a vehicle speeding on Illinois Street.
Officers stopped the vehicle on Webster Street.
Police said Carpenter was driving.
As officers asked him for his license and registration, they said they noticed him attempting to conceal a baggie.
Carpenter was placed in handcuffs.
Police said a search turned up nine baggies of crack cocaine, two large freezer bags containing marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash.
Carpenter was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute a Class B drug, distribution of a Class D substance and speeding.
Those allegations are also subject to court proceedings.
Taken together, the cases represent an unusually intense stretch of enforcement across Boston and Worcester.
Two murder suspects were arrested in separate homicide investigations.
Another murder arrest followed a Hyde Park shooting that left five people shot.
A separate East Boston killing remains under investigation.
Police recovered multiple loaded firearms in unrelated cases involving adults and juveniles.
Retail theft enforcement led to five arrests and three summonses in Downtown Crossing.
And Worcester officers reported a drug arrest after a traffic stop.
The cases are not connected based on the information released.
But they reveal the scale and range of what police have been confronting in just a matter of days.
Homicide detectives are investigating fatal shootings.
Fugitive officers are serving murder warrants.
Drug units are stopping suspected gun activity.
Youth Violence Strike Force officers are making firearm arrests involving teenagers.
Downtown officers are targeting organized retail theft.
And Worcester patrol officers are uncovering suspected narcotics activity during traffic enforcement.
For the families of those killed, however, these cases are not statistics.
Victor Armani Arias Rivera was 20 years old.
Breidy Martinez was 29.
Ky Mani Korey Reynolds was 26.
Joseph Gabriel Lucas Gomez was 21.
Their deaths now sit at the center of separate homicide investigations moving through different stages.
Some have resulted in arrests.
At least one remains without an announced arrest based on the information provided.
The legal process now begins for those charged.
The investigations continue for detectives still searching for answers.
And across Boston, another week of gun violence and police enforcement has left behind court cases, grieving families and some very difficult questions about how loaded firearms continue ending up on the streets — and, increasingly, in the hands of young people.