A Boston man with a historical past of responsible convictions has been charged in a Charles River alleged machete assault, based on the Suffolk DA’s workplace.
Charles Selph, 62, a repeat violent offender, is accused of assaulting a 54-year-old man who advised police he had been attacked whereas sleeping beneath the Longfellow Bridge.
Mass State Police troopers responded to a name for an individual lined in blood on Storrow Drive beneath the Longfellow Bridge at round 10:15 p.m. on Could 23. The 54-year-old man was reportedly bleeding from a number of lacerations on the highest of his head.
After Selph allegedly attacked the sufferer, he ran onto Storrow Drive — the place motorists stopped and helped him. The sufferer supplied troopers with an outline of his alleged attacker, and Boston EMS transported him to Massachusetts Basic Hospital for remedy.
A motorist’s mobile phone video reportedly confirmed the sufferer pointing to a person beneath the Longfellow Bridge. The person seems to be holding an extended object in his hand.
Troopers additionally acquired video from the Charles/MGH MBTA station displaying a similarly-clothed man holding an extended steel object simply earlier than the reported time of the assault. A trooper acknowledged the person within the video as Selph.
Staties performed a canvass of the scene, and located in a grassy space close by a machete that matched the one held by the person within the video. Troopers additionally discovered a black backpack with a medical/hospital bracelet with Selph’s title and a prescription remedy bottle with Selph’s title.
Troopers sought a warrant for Selph, and he was arrested in Boston on Could 27. He was charged with one rely of assault and battery with a harmful weapon.
Selph has an in depth historical past of responsible convictions in Massachusetts, together with costs of assault with a harmful weapon, assault and battery on a police officer, failure to register as a intercourse offender, sexual assault and rape. He was sentenced to 9 months within the Home of Correction in Could 2023 for assault and battery.
His Massachusetts Intercourse Offender Registry Board entry lists him as a Stage 3 offender, indicating the best chance to reoffend, with a 1989 conviction for aggravated rape.
“I am extremely grateful for the motorists who stopped and helped this victim, and for the victim’s assistance in giving troopers a solid description of his attacker,” Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden stated. “This assistance, along with surveillance video and excellent investigative work, led to a quick arrest in this brutal attack.”
Selph was arraigned on Could 28 and ordered held on $1,000 bail, and in addition ordered to avoid the sufferer and the situation of the incident. Selph will return to courtroom June 21 for a pre-trial listening to.
