Three men released, charged with kidnapping, robbing 14-year-old on MBTA train

BOSTON – Three men are facing kidnapping and robbery charges in Roxbury BMC after preventing a 14-year-old from exiting an MBTA train, assaulting him, and taking his cell phone last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

Michael Cole, 23 of Boston, Derrick Eure, 25, of Dedham, and Nathan Moorewhite Jr., 19, of Dorchester were all charged with kidnapping, armed and masked robbery and disorderly conduct on a public conveyance in Roxbury BMC on Monday and were ordered held without bail until a dangerousness hearing on Thursday. 

At the Thursday hearing, Judge Lisa Ann Grant found all three dangerous and released them to GPS monitoring with home confinement. Grant ordered them to stay away from MBTA public transportation while their cases are ongoing.

The three will return to court on May 20 for probable cause hearings.

At just before 3:30 p.m. on March 7, MBTA Transit Police on patrol in Forest Hills Station were approached by three juveniles who said their friend had been robbed while on the train.

The juveniles reported boarding an Orange Line train at Roxbury Crossing Station heading toward Forest Hills Station when three unknown adult males, all wearing black face masks, began harassing them and threatening to beat them up.

As the juveniles attempted to exit the train at the next stop, the men grabbed one of their friends and pulled him back onto the train and stole his cellphone.

The victim exited the train at Stony Brook Station. The victim was able to contact his friends and tell them the three men stole his cellphone. His friends encouraged him to meet them at Forest Hills Station to report the incident to police, but he decided to go home.

Investigators met with the victim, 14, who told them that while onboard, a man threatened to beat him up while making gestures as if he had a weapon. The victim said that two other men assaulted him and took his phone, removed his phone case and handed him his CharlieCard, which was on the back of his case.

Video surveillance shows the first adult male approach the group of juveniles on the train. As the juveniles attempt to get off at Jackson Square Station, the other two males grab the victim by his backpack, turn him around and forcefully pull him back on the train car then slam him against the opposite train car door.

After they took the victim’s cellphone, the first male is seen placing his hand into his sweatshirt, extend his hand while in the pocket and press his hand up against the victim’s abdominal area. The victim is seen with both his hands up in the video.

At approximately 7:00 p.m., Transit police observed three males, later identified as Cole, Eures and Moorewhite, matching the descriptions seen on video and given by witnesses at Forest Hills Station. Cole, Eures, and Moorewhite were all placed under arrest.

A Criminal Justice Information Services query revealed Cole had an outstanding warrant out of BMC Central.

Investigators recovered the victim’s cellphone from Moorewhite’s possession.

“All forms of bullying and violence are intolerable, but this conduct toward a 14-year-old boy is particularly deplorable. All our residents deserve to go about their daily lives safely, peacefully and without fear of harassment or violence. I thank the Transit police for their work in quickly identifying the individuals involved,” Hayden said.