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Everett 7th grader arrested by ICE had a knife on him, mayor says, but no gun

Everett’s mayor contradicted a federal official’s earlier claim that the boy was armed with both a knife and a gun when apprehended.

Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo

updated on October 14, 2025

3 minutes to read

A 13-year-old Everett boy arrested by federal immigration officials last week had a knife on him when apprehended, but no gun, Mayor Carlo DeMaria said Tuesday, contradicting an earlier claim from a Department of Homeland Security official.

Everett police arrested the boy at a bus stop Thursday following a “credible tip” about a violent threat against another student, DeMaria told reporters. He said officers recovered a double-sided knife that was 6 to 7 inches long.

“Let me be clear: this could have been a tragedy in our schools,” DeMaria said. “Thanks to the quick and decisive action of the Everett Police Department, it was prevented.”

He also clarified that, while ICE agents took the boy into custody from the police station, the Everett Police Department “did not contact ICE about this recent juvenile arrest.”

“ICE operates independently and has the authority to access certain law enforcement databases and take action on its own accord,” DeMaria added.

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin earlier alleged the teen had both a firearm and a knife in his possession when arrested.

“Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property,” McLaughlin wrote on social media Monday. A later post from DHS offered identical allegations.

Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property.

He was in possession of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested. https://t.co/RSkgKUnGTS
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) October 13, 2025

Because juvenile court records are not public, it was not clear whether the boy had actually been convicted of any of the offenses McLaughlin listed. His mother, Josiele Berto, told The Boston Globe she received a call to pick her son up from the police station last Thursday and waited for about an hour and a half before learning he had been taken by ICE.

“My world collapsed,” Berto told the Globe in Portuguese. She said her son, a seventh-grader at Everett’s Albert N. Parlin School, was ultimately transferred to the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Virginia, where he reportedly slept on concrete using an aluminum sheet as a blanket.

“We are heartbroken and doing everything we can to bring our son back to Massachusetts, where he belongs — with his family, his school, and his community,” the boy’s family added on a GoFundMe page to help cover legal expenses.

A lawyer for the teen filed an emergency habeas corpus petition in federal court in Boston last Friday, and Judge Richard G. Stearns gave immigration officials until Tuesday evening to justify the detention. Otherwise, they’ll have to bring him in for a bond hearing no later than Friday.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested by ICE in Everett after an interaction with the Everett Police Department and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia. – Handout via The Boston Globe

“I believe the child’s constitutional rights are being violated,” Andrew Lattarulo, the boy’s attorney, told the Globe. “He should have remained in Massachusetts, where he could address any and all allegations within the jurisdiction of his home state, not in a facility hundreds of miles away.”

Lattarulo did not respond to an interview request Tuesday. He previously told the Globe the boy and his family are awaiting an asylum hearing and have permission to work in the U.S.

Noting Everett counts many undocumented immigrants among its residents, DeMaria said the city has tried to reassure community members amid the Trump administration’s mass deportations.

“Hopefully Congress creates a pathway to immigration real soon, because communities like Everett thrive off immigrants,” DeMaria said. “We’ve thrived off immigrants since before my parents came from Italy here.”

While he explained the Everett Police Department has no authority once ICE takes someone into custody, he acknowledged some need for improvement in the city’s procedures.

“I do believe I should have better-equipped juvenile facilities that allow minors to remain close to their families and legal counsel as they move through due process,” DeMaria conceded.

Chief of Police Paul Strong told reporters that Thursday was the first time ICE has detained a juvenile from Everett police custody, to his knowledge. He also confirmed DeMaria’s report that the boy had no firearms on him when arrested.

Both he and DeMaria emphasized the importance of public safety in the city’s schools and on its streets.

“Chief Strong and I work hand-in-hand with one goal: keep our community safe,” DeMaria said.

In the meantime, the boy’s family described the ordeal as “something no parent should ever experience.”

“This has been a nightmare for us, but with your help, we can bring our child home and make sure no other family has to live through this pain,” the family’s GoFundMe states.