Boston Blotter: Medford on Alert

Another sexual assault took place in early yesterday morning in Medford, prompting police to send out warnings to local residents.

The victim of the second assault got lucky - the suspect grabbed her, but a car passed, and he ran off. Tufts sent out a notice saying that three attacks of that nature have happened before April 23.

Here is the police's description of this individual: "The attacker is described as white, heavy set, in his early 20's, about 5'5"-5'10" tall. He was wearing a hoodie and blue jeans at the time of the incident and was driving a small, red SUV-type vehicle."

According to the Somerville News, Somerville is using Reverse 311 to warn residents, and Tufts is already on alert because of the similarity of the assaults.

--We took a step forward yesterday with the return of funding for the Shannon Community Safety Initiative, but the city took two steps back with a double shooting in Roxbury last night. A 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man were shot. They are expected to survive. Later that night, a 14-year-old was shot in the chest in Mattapan.

--Unfortunately, an emergency response vehicle created an emergency yesterday afternoon in Dunstable. An ambulance went off the road and crashed into a barn attached to a house, killing the 21-year-old EMT who was driving and a 57-year-old patient inside the vehicle.

--A Saugus police officer took a vacation from Massachusetts and the law. He got caught at the Mirage in Las Vegas "videotaping a 12-year-old girl with a secret shoe camera." The girl's father noticed the officer "acting suspiciously," and a group of people took the officer down. How does one contort one's self while using a "secret shoe camera"? It reads like a spy fantasy gone horribly awry.

--Last of all, an innocent piano was maimed by MIT students engaging in one of their mysterious rituals.

All charges alleged until proven under law. Image from surveillance footage of the Medford perp from WBZ, which we're reposting here.