Boston, MA (STL.News) At about 1:00 AM on Tuesday, August 25, 2020, officers assigned to the District B-2 (Roxbury) Anti-Crime unit made an onsite arrest and recovered a loaded firearm in the area of 19 Gaston Street in Roxbury. While on patrol in the area of Warren Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, officers observed two males riding on a moped scooter. Officers observed the passenger wearing a fanny pack draped across his body. Officers further observed the moped travel through a red light at the intersection of Warren Street and Townsend Street without stopping. Officers continued their observations and followed the vehicle until it came to a stop in the driveway of 21 Gaston Street. Officers observed the rear passenger jump off of the moped and immediately reach inside of the fanny pack where he removed a black and silver metallic object before turning away from officers and running down the driveway. The male continued to manipulate the metallic object inside of the fanny pack as he fled on foot. Concurrently, the operator of the moped also began to flee the scene as well. Officers gave chase and pursued the males on foot to the rear of 23 Gaston Street where the two males broke off, with the operator fleeing back towards the street as the passenger began to jump fences in an effort to evade the officers.
The officers separated and pursued the suspects individually. One of the officers pursued the operator who was apprehended a short distance away, upon losing both of his sneakers, giving up in the process. The operator was taken into custody.
The second officer pursued the passenger who jumped over the fence from 21 Gaston Street to 23 Gaston Street. As the officer gave chase, he observed the fanny which was open on the ground with a black and silver firearm resting next to it. The officer secured the firearm as the male continued his escape.
Additional units arrived on scene and immediately observed a male matching the description of the fleeing passenger in the area of Normandy Street and Intervale Street. The male appeared to be sprinting at full speed down Normandy Street towards Lawrence Avenue. The male was apprehended after officers pulled him out from underneath a parked car in the area of 5 Normandy Street. The passenger was taken into custody.
Officers arrested the operator of the moped, Kurt Fernandes Mendes, 25-years-old, of Randolph and the passenger, James Witkowski-Owens, 25-years-old, of Mattapan. Both are expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court. Mendes is charged with Trespassing. Witkowski-Owens is charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Subsequent Offense, Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device.
The firearm was determined to be a Canik TP9SF 9mm loaded with eleven rounds of live ammunition.