Man with lengthy history with law enforcement held without bail after allegedly assaulting girl at Boston attraction

BOSTON – A 24-year-old man is being held without bail following a dangerousness hearing Friday after being charged in Charlestown BMC with hiding in a stall and assaulting a 15-year-old girl from behind in the bathroom in the Museum of Science on Sunday, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.   

24-year-old Yandri Hernandez of Somerville, was charged Wednesday with kidnapping of a child, strangulation or suffocation, and assault and battery.

At just before 12:45 p.m. on Sunday, Massachusetts State Police responded to the Museum of Science for an assault in a bathroom.

The victim, a 15-year-old girl, reported being at the Museum of Science with her friend when she entered the bathroom on the first level as her friend waited outside. The victim told police that when she left the bathroom stall to wash her hands, she felt a hand come around her face and cover her month. Initially she thought it was her friend, but observed a male, later identified as Hernandez, behind her. The victim said Hernandez did not speak but tried to restrain her. The victim was able to scream and quickly run out of the bathroom. Hernandez walked out of the bathroom immediately after the victim and fled.

A witness present in the bathroom told police she noticed the first and last stalls occupied. When the witness entered her stall, she noticed black-and-white sneakers in an adjoining stall that appeared to be “abnormal in size for a female.” The witness heard one occupant exit the stall followed by the other occupant. The witness then heard muffled screaming and some sort of physical altercation. Both parties were gone when the witness exited the stall.

Video footage shows a man entering the museum at 10:58 a.m. wearing all-black clothing with black-and-white sneakers. The man is seen siting in a lobby near the bathroom for approximately one hour before entering the bathroom. State Police investigators disseminated still images of the man to local police departments.

On Monday, State Police received a phone call from Cambridge Police, who were able to identify the man as Hernandez from a distinct tattoo on his left forearm.

Hernandez was spotted in Somerville the following day and placed into custody without incident by State Police.

“This is a terrifying incident for anyone, particularly for a teenager simply enjoying an outing with a friend at a popular destination. This young woman’s description of her attacker, along with top-notch identification work based on the images disseminated by investigators, led to the defendant being spotted and arrested just days after the incident,” Hayden said.

Hernandez was arrest on several charges by Somerville Police just late last month which included breaking and entering.