Police investigating 2 attacks at East Boston park

BOSTON — After two men were found were injuries at a state park in East Boston, police are concerned someone might be targeting and beating elderly men.

On May 29, Daniel Pepe, 83, called his family to tell them he had been attacked at Belle Isle Marsh and he was bleeding pretty badly.

Pepe died from his injuries on June 1 and police launched an investigation into his death.

“He just went for a walk that morning. In fact, he was supposed to go to my son's barbecue that day,” Pepe’s brother-in-law, Tony DiCicco said.

“He was a good guy,” DiCicco said. “He didn't bother no one. He had no enemies.”

Police say Pepe was so seriously injured, he was not able to tell investigators anything about a possible attacker or what happened to him.

“It was afternoon, early to mid-afternoon,” Mass. State Police Colonel Richard McKeon said. “It does raise our concern that such activity would occur in the daylight hours, right when other people could be around.”

Just three days after Pepe was injured, police say a 67-year-old man was assaulted at the same park.

Police say the man who attacked the second victim is described as a white man in his late 20s or 30s, about 5-foot-9 and wearing a hat, T-shirt and shorts that were beige or brown.

"Two assaults, both of elderly men and within days of each other, raises our concerns that there could be a pattern here," Colonel McKeon said. "We want to make sure everybody is aware of that."

Anyone with information is asked to call State Trooper Joel Balducci at (617) 727-8817. For the time being, police have increased their patrols in the area.

Cox Media Group