SOMERVILLE — On Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, at about 1:23 p.m., Officer Keighla McAloney of the Somerville Police Department was dispatched to the Alston Street bus stop after a 911 caller reported a 40–50-year-old man with his pants down playing with himself.
Officer Alex Lorenti and Sergeant Timothy Van Nostrand responded as back up.
According to Officer McAloney, when the 911 caller reported the incident to Somerville dispatch he said “at the Alston St. bus stop, there is a male sitting there, pants down, jerking off, there’s no other way to put it.”
When Officer McAloney arrived on scene, an individual in a vehicle began beeping at her to get her attention and then pointed at a man walking away from the scene.
Officer McAloney then spoke with the driver who yelled “that man was just sitting at the bus stop with his genitals out jerking off.”
“I then approached the male whom [the driver] pointed out, who was now in the area of Cross Street at McGrath Highway,” Officer McAloney said. “It should be noted, there were no other males in the vicinity. The male was identified as Mr. Alfred Smith. Smith stated he was sitting at the bus stop having a cigarette and drinking a beer, he denied any indecent exposure.”
According to police, Alfred Smith, 61, is a resident of 15 Bailey Road in Somerville.
At this time, Officer McAloney was informed by dispatch that Officer Steven Prophete received multiple phone calls from concerned parents who had seen the man while they were heading to the East Somerville School to pick up their kids. The East Somerville School, which is located at 50 Cross Street, is down the street from where Smith was allegedly playing with himself.
In addition, while Lieutenant DeOliveira was working detail at the corner of Tuffs and Glen Street, a woman flagged him down from her vehicle to inform him that there was “a naked man at the bus stop.” The corner of Tuffs and Glen Street is also down the street from where Smith was reportedly engaging in indecent behavior.
“Smith is well known in the city of Somerville and has a history of this behavior, which resulted in a conviction,” Officer McAloney said.
Smith was arrested and charged with open and gross lewdness and Somerville’s open container ordinance.
Disclaimer: The account and quotations in this article were taken from the Somerville Police Department’s weekly arrest log.
