BOSTON — An East Boston husband and wife are facing numerous civil rights and assault charges after officials say they sprayed water and threw pieces of wood at a group dining at a restaurant next to their Porter Street house.
37-year-old Arielle Raso was charged seven counts of assault and battery, seven counts of civil rights violation, seven counts of threatening to commit a crime, and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14.
39-year-old Gregory Raso was charged with seven counts of assault and battery, seven counts of civil rights violation, and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
At about 6:45 p.m. on May 25, Boston police responded to Tertulia’s Cafe on Porter Street in East Boston for a noise complaint issued by the couple, who live next door to the restaurant.
Officers told the couple to contact them again if the noise persisted past 11 pm.
At around 8:30 p.m., officers responded to Tertulia’s Cafe for a report of an assault in progress.
They spoke with a victim, who said that she and several others were gathered at the restaurant when a verbal altercation began between the Raso couple and the party.
The victim said the two complained about the noise and told the victims, who are Hispanic, to “get out of this country.” They also used racial slurs and threatened to kill the victims.
WATCH: Video shared with Boston 25 shows the moment a couple started allegedly spraying water at a group of individuals who were gathered outside at Tertulia’s Cafe in East Boston on Monday.
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) May 27, 2026
The victims told police that the couple next door complained about the noise and told… pic.twitter.com/qbovHjvDsJ
The couple then allegedly broke off a piece of the shared fence dividing the property and threw it at the group, allegedly striking a child. They also allegedly sprayed the victims with a hose.
All of the victims reported being hit by water.
While interviewing the victims, officers heard Arielle Raso admit she sprayed the group with a hose and heard her say “I will kill you, I don’t give a [expletive],” followed by “I’m [expletive] done with all those [multiple racial expletives],”
“They show up through the fence saying bad words, saying my customers have to leave,” Gildardo Breciado, the owner of Tertulia’s, said.
Breciado said those neighbors have made noise complaints against the restaurant since he opened his business there more than a decade ago. He said what happened this time was different.
“When they start throwing things, my customers get up and they start trying to argue with the people,” Breciado said.
When asked if he heard the suspects yelling racial slurs, Breciado replied, “it always happens, that happens two three times a year… I’m used to it.”
Moving forward, Breciado said he’s hopeful they can come up with a solution to keep the peace moving forward.
" [I] feel bad because we gotta look for a solution," Breciado said.
The judge set bail at $750 and ordered the couple to stay away from the location and have no contact with the victims or any restaurant patrons.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
