Crime
Mannice Mitchner was allegedly seen approaching the scene with his cellphone out to record the incident, and prosecutors have accused him of joining the fray.
A Roxbury teen is facing charges after prosecutors say he filmed a group robbery on the Orange Line earlier this month, eventually joining in and kicking the alleged victim in the head.
Mannice Mitchner, 18, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of unarmed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct on a public conveyance. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, seven teens boarded an Orange Line train at Downtown Crossing around 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 15 and confronted another passenger, who is also 18 years old. The verbal confrontation soon turned physical, and prosecutors say the assailants — mostly juveniles — surrounded the alleged victim and punched him.
“The group threw the victim to the ground and continued to punch and kick his face and stomach area,” the District Attorney’s office said in a news release.
Mitchner was allegedly seen approaching the scene with his cellphone out to record the incident, and prosecutors have accused him of joining the fray. According to the DA’s office, the group took the alleged victim’s shoes and phone before fleeing the train at the Massachusetts Avenue Station.
The alleged victim purportedly told police he did not know any of his attackers. The DA’s office said two of the seven juveniles involved did not physically attack the passenger; three others have been arrested and will be arraigned at a later date.
Mitchner is due back in court Jan. 22. According to the DA’s office, he already has pending cases out of West Roxbury, Fall River, Roxbury, and Dorchester for charges of breaking and entering, malicious destruction of property, attempted larceny, and knowingly receiving stolen property. Judge Richard Sinnott ordered Mitchner held Monday after revoking his bail in the other cases.
If released, Mitchner has been ordered to stay away from the alleged victim and all MBTA stations.
“This was a frightening experience for this young man and for all the riders who witnessed it,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said. “These arrests and prosecutions should serve as warnings to other potential transit offenders — surveillance cameras are in place throughout the system and you will be seen and caught.”
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