A person with a historical past of assault and break-ins has been charged with sexually assaulting a blind lady a number of instances at a South End well being care facility for the homeless.
Joaquim Fortes, 51, was arraigned at Boston Municipal Court late final month on three fees of indecent assault and battery on an individual over 14. Judge James Coffey set bail at $5,000 and ordered Fortes to steer clear of the sufferer and the Barbara McInnis House, the Albany Street well being care facility the place he’s accused of assaulting the sufferer.
“This victim deserves enormous credit for cooperating with police and helping them put together enough information to arrest the person responsible for these assaults,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden stated in a Friday assertion.
According to the DA’s workplace, Fortes — who they listing as being from Boston however has been listed as being from different areas in earlier arrests, together with New Bedford — on April 1 entered the sufferer’s room on three events and positioned his non-public half within the sufferer’s hand.
The sufferer, who is just not solely legally blind but additionally suffers from a number of sclerosis, informed authorities that she was confused because of grogginess within the first two alleged assaults however had regained her colleges within the third occasion and chased Fortes out of her room.
Prosecutors say that police have obtained surveillance footage that reveals Fortes coming into and leaving the lady’s room 3 times.
The Barbara McInnis House gives medical respite care — which is short-term medical and recuperative companies — “for homeless people who are far too sick for life in shelters but not sick enough to occupy a costly acute care hospital bed.”
Later in the identical month because the alleged assaults, Fortes was arrested by Dartmouth Police on suspicion that he had damaged right into a automobile on Walsh Street there on April 13.
In 2009, Fortes was arrested after Fairhaven police say he stole a automobile and led them on a chase westbound on Route 6 till driving by way of a barrier on the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge after which leaping into the water to keep away from them. He’d apparently led the identical division on a chase six years earlier, as nicely.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”