Suspect in Esplanade Rapes Charged
BU student among victims in 2006 to 2010 attacks
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans (at podium) at the Esplanade press conference announcing the charges against Alejandro Done. Photo courtesy of the Boston Police Department
Boston police have charged a man who is already in jail with two sexual assaults, and are investigating his possible involvement in three others, one involving a BU student. The five attacks occurred on the Boston Esplanade and in South Boston between 2006 and 2010.
Alejandro Done, 46, of Boston has been charged with aggravated rape and indecent battery in the two cases “and could likely face more” charges in the other three, said Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, in an interview.
Done has been in the Middlesex County Jail since December, charged with raping a Cambridge woman he picked up as an Uber driver that month. He pleaded not guilty in that case.
Conley, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Richard D. McKeon, and Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans announced the Boston charges against Done at a press conference Tuesday on the Esplanade.
“We never give up,” Evans said, referring to the years-long investigation that led to the charges.
One of the five cases involved a BU student who was attacked on June 15, 2007, while jogging on the Esplanade near the Fairfield Street footbridge.
Wark said that DNA evidence taken in the Uber driver case linked Done to four of the Boston attacks. In the fifth case, he said, the attacker’s pattern of behavior suggests that Done was the perpetrator.
Uber released a statement that said, “We thank the police and prosecutors for their continued vigilance. We are grateful that we were able to work closely with law enforcement to assist in their December 2014 investigation that has led to these additional charges.”
Done is not yet scheduled for arraignment on the Boston charges. Since he is already in jail, “he is not going anywhere anytime soon,” Wark said.
The following safety tips from the Boston University Police Department are recommended for all students, especially those walking after dark.
- Remove headphones while walking or jogging. The distraction makes you vulnerable to attack.
- Walk with a friend at night, and avoid areas that are not well lit.
- Always carry a cell phone. But when you’re out walking or jogging, use it only for emergencies. Otherwise, it can be a distraction. (See headphones, above.)
- Let someone know when you expect to arrive home.
- And the perennial tip, from BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins: If you drink, “make sure no one spikes your drink. Don’t binge-drink. Don’t overindulge.”
Amy Laskowski can be reached at amlaskow@bu.edu.
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