Crime

An Allston resident was closing her bedroom window. ‘It suddenly reopened and a hand reached inside,’ police say.

A Brighton man was subsequently arrested.

October 29, 2025

1 minute to read

Police charged a 39-year-old Brighton man with breaking and entering after a woman in Allston reported that as she tried to close her bedroom window, “it suddenly reopened and a hand reached inside.”

According to Boston police, at around 2:25 a.m. on Sunday, officers responded to the incident at 19 Chester St., which is near Packard’s Corner.

Police operations provided officers with a description of the suspect, but an initial search of the area was unsuccessful. At the scene, officers saw that “the window screen had been torn and handprints were visible on the glass,” police said.

A man matching the suspect’s description then returned to the scene, according to police. As officers approached him, he quickly walked away before breaking into a sprint.

“A brief foot pursuit ensued, [and] the suspect initially eluded capture,” police said.

Officers later found the man in the area of 1094 Commonwealth Ave., where he was arrested.

Police identified the suspect as Renato De Oliveira, 39, of Brighton. According to court documents, he pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Brighton District Court on Monday to charges of trespassing and breaking and entering.

Court documents say he was initially released on personal recognizance, but after a bail warning violation was discovered, he was issued a $5,000 cash bail.

Officials are holding De Oliveira at the Suffolk County jail in lieu of posting bail. He is set to return to court on Nov. 21 for a pre-trial hearing.