SPRINGFIELD — A 53-year-old homeless man was arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the Springfield Police Department’s Special Victims Unit into an alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a teenage boy.
According to police, at approximately 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 30, a 17-year-old male reported that he was walking on Hancock Street when he was forcibly dragged into Johnny Appleseed Park by an unknown man and sexually assaulted. The victim managed to escape and ran roughly a mile home while the suspect reportedly chased him.
Detectives from the Special Victims Unit—Shavonne Lewis, Luishka Mendez-Vazquez, Annmarie Rettura, Orette Ho Sang, and Lieutenant Richard Rief—began investigating, reviewing city surveillance footage and interviewing the victim and witnesses. They identified the suspect as Ahmed Ahmed, 53, and obtained a warrant for his arrest on Tuesday, June 3.
Around 4:00 p.m. the same day, detectives located and arrested Ahmed on the 700 block of State Street.
“This type of assault by a stranger is extremely rare in our city, yet undoubtedly alarming. I’d like to thank our Special Victims Unit Detectives who worked tirelessly on this case with a thorough investigation that will hopefully bring some justice to this victim and his family,” said Superintendent Lawrence Akers. Later adding, “While I can’t recall an incident similar to this, it is a painful reminder that these horrendous events can happen ever so quickly.”
Mayor Domenic Sarno commended the Springfield Police Department’s Special Victims Unit for its swift work. “I remain hopeful that justice will be served. My thoughts, prayers, and encouragement go out to the victim and their family,” Sarno said.
Ahmed Ahmed was charged with:
- Kidnapping
- Aggravated rape during the commission of a felony
- Witness intimidation
- Stalking
- Assault & battery with a dangerous weapon
