Somerville man nabbed in T attack on teens

Somerville man nabbed in T attack on teens

Joseph Balistreri
By O’Ryan Johnson  |   Sunday, December 5, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Transit Police arrested a 36-year-old Somerville man yesterday who they say attacked two teens on an Orange Line train, kicking them and unleashing a tirade of racial slurs, police said.

Joseph Balistreri is charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault and battery, threats to commit a crime, and annoying and accosting behavior for the Nov. 19 run-in.

The victims, 18 and 19 years old, told police they were on the train at Sullivan Square headed to Ruggles Station when a heavyset man in a black leather jacket started yelling slurs at them, according to the police report.

The man then allegedly approached and started kicking the girls, hitting one in the lip and another in the chest. The teens told police he spit on them before he fled the train about 11 p.m.

Cops caught the suspect on camera and released his picture Friday, leading to tips that resulted in the arrest yesterday, police said. Balistreri is being held on $7,500 bail and is expected to be arraigned tomorrow.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1300911