Somerville man arraigned for three sex assaults
A 22-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting three women in Somerville was ordered held without bail today in Somerville District Court pending a dangerousness hearing.
Alfredo R. Posada of Somerville was ordered held by District Court Judge Neil Walker pending the hearing, which was slated for Tuesday.
The alleged assaults occurred Sept. 10, Sept. 24, and Oct. 24, according to court records. For each incident, Posada has been charged with one count of assault to rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over, according to the records.
Posada allegedly groped three women in late-night attacks, following his victims from behind before accosting them. In each case, the victims were walking alone, said Assistant District Attorney Ceara Mahoney, outlining the case.
Somerville police patrolling in the Davis Square area Thursday picked up Posada when the officers saw him follow three women, Mahoney said. He was placed in protective custody before the three victims positively identified him from a police lineup later that night, Mahoney said.
It was also disclosed in court today that Posada suffers from schizophrenia.
At least six such attacks have been reported in Somerville since September, with the sixth reported Thursday. Police promised stepped-up patrols Thursday, advising women to be aware of their surroundings and avoid dark or remote areas.
So far Posada has not been charged with any other incidents.
Officers from Cambridge, Medford, Tufts University, the FBI, and MBTA Transit Police collaborated to search for the suspect, according to a statement by Somerville Deputy Police Chief Paul Upton.
In court, Mahoney described the attacks in vivid detail, including the Oct. 22 incident, in which a Tufts University graduate student who had left a party was followed and cornered by a man dressed in black whom she later identified to police in the lineup as Posada. Mahoney said the man forced the woman to the ground in frenzy, groping her above and beneath her clothing.
“It was almost as if he could not touch her fast enough,’’ Mahoney said.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com