Local News

Unknown intruder steals multiple wallets from City Hall offices

A man wearing a hat and mask gained access to authorized areas inside City Hall Monday and made off with multiple wallets and credit cards.

Boston City Hall. Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe

December 4, 2025

2 minutes to read

An unknown suspect stole wallets and handbags from the offices of multiple employees inside Boston City Hall on Monday, raising security concerns about the building.

The suspect was not authorized to be in the offices and was described by city officials as a member of the public. It is unclear how they gained access to the offices. Officials confirmed that the suspect entered several office suites and stole personal belongings.

Boston Municipal Protective Services is increasing its internal patrols throughout City Hall as a result of the incident, according to officials.

“Boston City Hall must be a safe and welcoming space all year round for residents, visitors and our City employees. Boston Police are investigating this incident to ensure that any needed security protocols or resources will be addressed,” a city spokesperson said in a statement.

Details are scarce, but a series of police reports do contain some information. The thefts were reported Monday afternoon to a BPD officer working at the front desk of City Hall.

The first victim said that, between 11 a.m. and noon that day, someone stole her brown wallet from her office. It contained two credit cards, her City Hall ID, her Massachusetts driver’s license, her insurance card, her library card, and $100 in cash, according to a police report.

She told the officer that her wallet had been inside her bag, which was under her desk. Two of her coworkers saw an unknown man in the area around the time the wallet was stolen, she said. The man was wearing a brown beanie, a dark jacket, sweatpants, and a blue face mask, according to a report.

A few minutes later, the BPD officer spoke with another victim who said that someone stole her wallet from her office. It contained her driver’s license, two credit cards, an MBTA pass, an insurance card, a Citizens Bank debit card, and $200 in cash, according to a police report.

The second victim said that she found unauthorized charges on all three of her cards. A total of $400 was spent at Macy’s, and another $380 was spent at Walgreens, according to a report. She reiterated that two of her coworkers saw the man in the brown beanie in the area the wallets were stolen from.

A third victim told the officer that someone stole her pink Bottega Veneta wallet from her bag while she was in her office. The wallet contained a Chase credit card, a Santander debit card, a Health Savings Account card, and an insurance card. She received alerts from her bank about unauthorized transactions. She was notified that $400 was spent at Macy’s and $320 was spent at Walgreens. The woman also spoke about the unknown man wearing the beanie and face mask, according to a police report.

City Councilor Ed Flynn responded on social media, saying that he was concerned about public safety in City Hall and the potential theft of confidential information.

“With a significant security breach at Boston City Hall, it’s critical to have a thorough criminal investigation to determine if confidential documents, including social security numbers, were impacted/stolen. City Hall must be transparent!” Flynn wrote.

Last May, a person attempted to enter City Hall with a gun, but fled with another soon after arriving. A City Council meeting was briefly disrupted because of the incident.