Three suspects charged in vandalism, theft of 16-year-old murder victim’s gravestone

BOSTON — Three young men have been arrested and charged in the vandalism of a 16-year-old murder victim’s gravestone in Boston.

Tyrese Sealey, 20, Tyler Green-Davis, 22, and Jiovanny Matos, 22, were arraigned Tuesday on several charges including desecrating a burial site.

The gravestone of Gerrod Brown Jr. disappeared from the Oak Lawn Cemetery last week and was later found in the Alice Taylor housing complex near the Roxbury-Mission Hill line.

Police sources and community activists told Boston 25 News they’re worried that the crime signals an intensifying rivalry between two gangs with a history of violence.

According to sources, escalating tension between the Mission Annunciation Road and Heath Street gangs is a big source of concern heading into the warmer months.

“Between the two groups, it’s going to keep adding fuel to the flames. It’s going to be an on-going cycle of violence,” said Domingos DaRosa, who was Brown’s football coach.

DaRosa, who coached Brown for the Boston Bengals, told Boston 25 News he’s especially worried about the potential for a violent summer ahead.

“We’re playing catchup now. They arrested three young men. That’s going to turn into other situations,” said DaRosa. “We need to get involved. We can’t continue to allow children to inherit street violence.”

At the time of Brown’s murder in 2017, investigators called him a bystander who was caught in the crossfire between two groups.

“The kid I met walked through six seven communities to get to a football program so he could stay out of trouble between 5 and 9 o’clock,” added DaRosa.

Court documents allege the suspects rocked Brown’s headstone until it fell over, kicked it and eventually tossed it into a trunk.

Prosecutors said the suspects were wearing ankle-monitor devices from previous charges during the crime.

A judge has revoked their bail on those previous charges.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2022 Cox Media Group