Keep your mouth shut

Cops: Armed robbery suspect bragged of crimes to friends

A 20-year-old Bow St. man robbed four local stores and then bragged to his friends about the crimes, police said this week.

Matthew Simoes was charged with armed and masked robbery after police allegedly used his own words to connect him with the four local heists that took place between Sept. 22 and Oct. 1. He allegedly robbed Friendly Market, Lil’ Peach, Extra Mart and Trans Liquor Store. At Friendly Market and Trans Liquor, Simoes was masked and armed, police said. At Extra Mart and Lil’ Peach he was unarmed, they said.

Police said Simoes fit the identical description all four clerks gave police. 

A cooperating citizen helped detectives identify Simoes as the robber, police said. And Simoes bragged to several friends about robbing Friendly Market, police said.

During an interview with Police Detective Mario Oliveira, Simoes allegedly made several incriminating statements.

                                                 ***************

Roslindale man indicted for Labor Day murder

A Roslindale man last week was indicted for shooting his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend in the Mystic Avenue projects over Labor Day weekend in what appeared to be a fatal end to a love triangle dispute.

Marcus Amos, 20, was indicted for first degree murder, possession of a firearm without a license and possession of ammunition. Amos allegedly shot and killed Keith McCoy, 28, of Somerville, on Sept. 1 after a dispute over a woman turned violent. Amos was dating McCoy’s ex-girlfriend at the time of the shooting, according to lawyers at Amos’ arraignment.

McCoy had taken a knife out during the fight when Amos pulled a gun from his waistband and shot him, Amos’ lawyer said in court last month. However, authorities allege that Amos continued to fire even as McCoy lay on the ground.

Somerville Police responded to 20 Memorial Road for reports of shots fired and found McCoy on the ground, unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds, authorities said.

CPR was administered and he was then transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was pronounced dead soon after.

Amos was arrested in Boston the next day.

                                                  ***************

Cops: Drug suspect eats the evidence

A Cambridge man suspected of selling heroin and cocaine in Somerville ate the evidence before drug cops could reach him but was arrested on drug selling charges anyway, police said this week.

Four times between Sept. 18 and Friday, Juan Diaz, 33, sold cocaine or heroin to a source cooperating with and directed by drug unit investigators, police said. On Friday, after the source allegedly bought a small amount of cocaine from Diaz, investigators tried to pull Diaz over near Foss park, police said.

Diaz refused to stop for the police and drove up and down several side streets to avoid them, police said. When he turned down Jacques Street, he was forced to come to a stop when two police vehicles cornered him, causing a slight collision, police said.

Diaz refused to unlock his car when detectives approached and brought his hand up to his mouth, apparently to ingest and destroy the drugs he was carrying, police said.

Police eventually forced their way into Diaz’ car and arrested him for distribution of a class B drug, failure to stop for police and resisting arrest.

The bills given to the cooperating source by detectives were allegedly found on Diaz and a drug-sniffing dog alerted police to the recent presence of a controlled substance, police
said.

                                                  ***************

Crack, pot and thousands in cash seized from Medford man

Drug unit cops set up surveillance of a suspect across the city line in Medford on Thursday and followed him into Somerville, where they stopped him and found five bags of crack cocaine, police said.

Tavon Bowden, 28, of 84 Arlington St., Medford, was arrested and charged with drug violation near a school or park, possession of a class B drug with intent to distribute and possession of a class D drug with intent to distribute.

Police allegedly found two bags of marijuana in Bowden’s car. Four of the five bags of crack were found hidden inside Bowden’s cell phone, police said. Police recovered $778 in cash when they stopped Bowden in front of Trum Field.

Police returned to Bowden’s home at 84 Arlington St. and allegedly found “several thousand dollars” in cash, cocaine, marijuana and a semi-automatic handgun. After phone calls to both Medford and Somerville police, it was still unclear if Bowden faces additional charges related to the raid on his home.

Police said after he was arrested, Bowden made incriminating statements.

                                                 ***************

Two machetes recovered in East Somerville

Two Somerville men were arrested Oct. 1 when police allegedly found machetes with foot long blades on both men.

Police responded to Broadway and Rush Street for a report of two groups of men, possibly with weapons, ready to fight.

Police searched two of the men – Jose Martinez, 18, of 20 River Rd. and German Hernandez, 20, of 8 Montgomery Ave. – at the corner of Rush and Brook streets and allegedly found machetes on both.
One of the machetes had Guatemala printed on it.

On Sept. 29, eight police cruisers responded to 420 Medford St. for a report of a man inside the building with a machete. The machete, or the man, was not discovered, said Police Deputy Chief Paul Upton and no arrests were made.

Martinez and Hernandez were both arrested and charged with carrying a dangerous weapon.

                                                 ***************

Drug arrest is on the menu for this foodie

Drug unit detectives caught an alleged cocaine dealer Friday night when they set up surveillance outside his favorite restaurant.

Detectives arrested Leidimar Guedes, 29, of Medford, outside Café Belo on Washington Street at 7:30 p.m., police said, a half hour after they first staked-out the restaurant. When they searched Guedes, police allegedly found 10 bags of cocaine on him. He was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, resisting arrest, drug violation near a school or park and possession of a class B drug with intent to distribute.