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Man dies after being dragged by car during robbery

DORCHESTER, Mass. — The man dragged by a car for several blocks during a robbery in Dorchester last Friday has died, authorities said.

State Police said 18-year-old Kemoni Miller died at Boston Medical Center on Wednesday morning after being on life support for four days. Miller was dragged for about half a mile and suffered a life-threatening head injury when he fell from the car.

Soon after Miller was pronounced dead, prosecutors approved murder charges for Dejon Barnes, 18 and Kenneth Ford, 23, who had previously been charged with unarmed robbery.

According to an investigation by Boston and State Police, Barnes and Ford were in a vehicle on Gallivan Boulevard in Dorchester late Friday night when they met with Miller to buy a smartphone.

During the transaction, Miller was standing outside and reached to give one of the men the cellphone. When he put his arm through the window, the suspects closed it on his arm and then drove away at a high speed, dragging the victim for several blocks, according to police.

Evidence suggests the car ran a red light at the intersection with Washington Street and continued to drive away from the scene.

Miller was rushed to BMC, but never regained consciousness.

After an investigation, police identified Barnes and Ford as the suspects and arrested them at a party in the West End early Sunday morning.

Barnes and Ford were initially charged with unarmed robbery and held on $100,000 cash bail each at their Nov. 19 arraignments.

Their arraignments on the murder charges have not yet been scheduled, but are both expected to return to court on Dec. 5.

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