Police identify man accused in disturbing Winthrop incidents targeting women

WINTHROP, Mass. — A 25-year-old man is facing multiple charges after police say he carried out a series of alleged assaults in Winthrop, including an incident in which he allegedly tried to pull down a woman’s pants just steps from the police department

Kervens Boutin, 26, of Stoughton, is expected to be arraigned Thursday on indecent assault and battery charges in East Boston District Court, according to a spokesperson for the Winthrop Police Department.

According to police, a woman who was with her child reported one of the incidents Wednesday afternoon outside the Wadsworth Building on Winthrop Street, next door to the Winthrop police headquarters. The woman told officers that a man tried to pull down her pants while making sexually explicit comments.

Using the woman’s description, officers located the suspect, later identified as Boutin, and attempted to take him into custody. Police say Boutin led officers on a brief chase before they arrested him.

Authorities said Boutin resisted arrest and was tased during an alleged struggle with officers. Three Winthrop police officers were reportedly injured during the encounter, and one officer was taken to a hospital for treatment. Boutin was also hospitalized following the arrest.

Following the arrest, police said several additional victims came forward with similar allegations. Among them were two women on Jefferson Street who reported returning home to find the man sitting on their couch with his pants unbuckled. A third woman reported a man fitting the same description had run past her, slapping her buttocks while she waited for the bus.

Investigators noted that the Jefferson Street incident appears to have occurred shortly before the two incidents on Winthrop Street.

“Surveillance video recovered in this case was a crucial component. Detectives were able to quickly corroborate the victims’ accounts along with witnesses and establish the suspect’s actions and movements,” officials said in a statement.

Police have not released additional information about the ongoing investigation

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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