Crime

Quincy man arrested in Boston Common stabbing

Suspect Philip Chen was committed to a hospital to determine if he is competent enough to stand trial, court documents show.

Police responded to the Brewer Fountain just after 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning, the BPD said in a statement. David L. Ryan/Boston Globe, File

By Eva Levin

October 15, 2024

1 minute to read

Boston police arrested a man on Saturday suspected of stabbing an elderly person on Boston Common earlier this month.

Philip Chen, of Quincy, was allegedly involved in a stabbing that took place near Brewer Fountain on Oct. 1., the Boston Police Department said in a statement.

Previously, BPD said they responded in the are of the Park Street MBTA stop around 8:18 a.m. on Oct. 1, where they found a victim suffering from “multiple stab wounds.”

Prosecutors charged Chen with two counts of assault and battery on an elderly person and one count of stealing from an elderly person, court documents show.

According to the BPD, police arrested Chen at 12:10 a.m. on Saturday. Officers were conducting a separate drug investigation when they saw and recognized Chen from an outstanding arrest warrant, the statement said.

Officers said they arrested Chen at the intersection of Summer and Otis Streets, blocks away from where he allegedly stabbed the victim weeks before.

Judge James Coffey ordered Chen to be hospitalized to determine if he is competent enough to stand trial, documents show. Chen is currently committed at Bridgewater State Hospital, where Judge Coffey ordered him to stay under observation until his next hearing on Nov. 1.