Brockton Man Arrested After Allegedly Stealing Phone From Woman Killed By Train
BOSTON (CBS) – Police said Saturday morning that the man suspected of stealing a phone belonging to a woman who was killed by an MBTA train has turned himself in.
MBTA Transit Police say 26-year-old Josue Gonzalez of Brockton turned himself in Friday night around 9:30 p.m. The woman's phone has been recovered.
"It was a very cold, reprehensible act," said MBTA police Lt. Richard Sullivan. "Through all the media attention that this garnered, hopefully his conscious got the better of him and he turned himself in to our headquarters last night."
Transit police released security photographs of the suspect on Friday. According to police, the video showed the man stepping on the phone after a woman was struck and killed by a Red Line train at MBTA's Downtown Crossing station on Thursday night.
Police believe Gonzalez watched the entire tragic incident unfold, then waited for the right opportunity to take the woman's cell phone.
"Upon impact of the train, her phone was dislodged from her purse and landed on the platform," said Sullivan. "We believe that this individual witnessed that, and subsquent to that, scanned the area and when he felt it was safe to do so, he reached down, takes possession of the phone, puts it in his pocket and casually walks away."
Police said Saturday the man is expected to be arraigned Monday in Boston Municipal Court on charges of larceny. He may face additional charges.
In the meantime, police are glad they were able to recover the woman's phone.
"There could be things on that phone, pictures or what not, of very sentimental value to the decedant's family," said Sullivan. "It was important for us to get that phone back."
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