-- Two of four men suspected of robbing convenience stores in Jamaica Plain and Hyde Park two weeks ago were apprehended by police. [BPDNews] -- Rodrick J. Taylor was convicted this morning of the 2006 strangling murder of Dominique Samuels, whose charred body was found in Franklin Park. Taylor will be sentenced on Monday. [Globe] -- Police have joined with community groups in an effort to quash the gang beef that has been dropping bodies......

-- Boston police are looking for a trio of bandits who pulled off a pair robberies in southwest Boston last week. The group knocked over a Hyde Park convenience store with a fourth man on Wednesday in broad daylight and took down a Jamaica Plain bodega on Thursday night. They threatened clerks with silver handguns and netted nearly $6000 from the two stick-ups. [BPDNews] -- The notorious goatee bandit was thwarted by an off-duty Cambridge......

-- Fears that gang violence is on the rise in Boston's southern neighborhoods seemed justified as police revealed that Monday's shooting of a five-month-old baby in Mattapan may have been part of a cycle of retaliatory killings between rival Jamaica Plain gangs. Police believe that the shooting, which left Alianna Peguero in the hospital, may have been a retaliation for the April killing of Luis Troncoso on a basketball court in JP. The Troncoso killing,......

-- Police charged three women with abducting a 24-year old man and leaving him to die in a burning apartment building early Sunday. Investigators discovered the man's plight when his brother, whom the women had allegedly attempted to extort, contacted police in Brighton. Farrah Girault, 29, of Roxbury, Cheerley Chevalier, 30, of Taunton and Jillian Jacques, 23, of Allston allegedly kidnapped the victim, bound him with a hair dryer, and beat him until he vomited......

-- A school van driver in Brookline was charged with the sexual assault of an elementary school girl. Israel Santiago, 41, of Roslindale, has been charged with two counts of aggravated rape, kidnapping, and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. Santiago allegedly attacked the girl, who is one of his regular riders, in a parking lot on Friday. The van, owned by YCN Transportation, is used to transport adults and children with......

--Why are so many bats dying mysteriously in New England? No one can figure out why, which doesn't bode well. [Boston Globe] --The Natick Collection appears to be in trouble. Perhaps it's because no one realizes that "Collection" actually means "fancy mall." And the attitude of some of the owners, including one who said "We have to educate our customers on style" isn't helping. [Boston Globe] --At least one local blog is shocked after......

The Milky Way, Jamaica Plain's popular candlepin bowling bar and hangout, will close no later than next year, according to the Jamaica Plain Gazette. Bella Luna, its companion restaurant, will move to the Brewery Complex on Amory Street. The decision comes months after the Milky Way's co-owners spent $80,000 to install a sprinkler system to bring the nightclub up to Boston city code. The decision was motivated by a new lease and an enormous rent......

-- Bike cops saw action in Roxbury, where two men were arrested after allegedly shooting guns near the Academy Homes project. The gunfire drew the attention of police from Boston's Youth Violence Strike Force, who chased the suspects into Marcella Park. The Tactical Bike Unit, responding to calls, finally caught and arrested the two men after a brawl. Universal Hub points out that one of the suspects was a recipient of a Boston anti-violence grant.......

The recent spate of shootings in Boston has citizens nervous about safety, and none has shaken the community like the daylight killing of Luis Troncoso, a 20-year-old Dorchester father of two who was shot in the head while playing basketball in a quiet Jamaica Plain park. Yesterday, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis toured JP's Centre Street in an effort to reassure business owners and citizens that increased police foot patrols will curb the violence. "We......

-- The 13 year old boy found shot early yesterday morning was the victim of two assailants on bicycles, police say. The victim, whose name has not been released, was steps from his own doorway when two bullets struck him in the groin. Police say the victim was not a known troublemaker and cast initial doubt that he was the target of the attack. The boy is expected to live, but may suffer permanent injury.......

Jamaica Plain commuters were greeted by a grisly sight this afternoon. A man was shot dead in the section of Southwest Corridor Park just across Boylston Street from the Stony Brook MBTA station. The shooting took place around 4:00pm, and, by 4:30pm, Boston and State police had cordoned off the park. Witnesses on the scene described the killing as a drive-by shooting. Police have not released the name of the 20 year old victim......

-- The Friday afternoon stabbing in Jamaica Plain may have been caused by pornography. Police have arrested Claribel Peralta, 21 of Boston, on charges that she stabbed her 33 year old boyfriend after flying into a rage when she discovered him watching pornography. Peralta had initially told police that she had come out of the bathroom in the victim's Amory Street apartment to find him pre-stabbed. [BPDNews; Herald] -- Two men were shot in a......

-- A stabbing this afternoon in Jamaica Plain has left one person hospitalized and another in custody, authorities say. The incident may have been the result of a domestic dispute. [Globe] -- Two men were found shot this morning in the McCormick Housing Development in South Boston. The victims, 18 and 23 years old, were taken to Boston Medical Center where they are suspected to survive. Authorities have not suggested any motives in the shootings,......

Update: The body of Roc Sanon, who was declared missing over the weekend, was found near Route 98 and Interstate 93. The BPD says, "The death does not appear to be suspicious." [BPD News] -- A man was shot in Roxbury last night. The man, whom police did not identify, was in his 40s, and suffered life threatening injuries. [Globe] -- Boston police are bracing for a violent summer after last week's seasonal Wednesday brought......

--Police put out a BOLO ("Be on the lookout") for a recent immigrant from Haiti who speaks no English and who has been missing since Wednesday. His name is Roc Sanon, he is 43 years old, and his photo is to the left. [BPD News] --Early this morning in Jamaica Plain on Gayhead Street, a woman was stabbed eight times and sustained life-threatening injuries. The BPD report indicates that the victim knew her attacker and......

Music and Cryptozoology A set of local organizations--Cloud City (aka Ben Sisto), The Footlight Club, and the Milky Way--are throwing a fund-raiser for 826 Boston. In a match made in heaven, the bookish Harry & the Potters will be the main event, and the openers will be Pants Yell! If you're nice, Bigfoot might show up in the shadows. Be observant. The Footlight Club, 7A Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain, 5:30 doors, 6:30 show, $12.......

--A brawler went crackers at 10 City Square in Charlestown--yes, that's Olives, owned by celebrity chef Todd English. This perp gave employees a hard time by "starting fights with several patrons and urinating in the bar area." People pee in public all the time, but at Olives? Did he not like the squab and chanterelle mushroom risotto with corn foam? Alleged disrespectful foodie urination wasn't enough for this guy, and he perp grew increasingly bold.......

Movies --The ultimate sci-fi slumber party will happen with the 33rd Annual Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, where this year's theme is "The Future is Passe," and the main event is a screening of A Boy and His Dog, starring Don Johnson. Get more details. Somerville Theatre, Davis Square, 12:00 noon, running through 12:00 noon the next day. Gender Bending Trannies take the stage for Traniwreck, Boston's only all-gender, all-genre burlesque variety show. Expect comedy,......

--DA Dan Conley has announced a suspect in the murder of Jeffrey Santiago at King Arthur's Lounge in Chelsea--19-year-old Jesse Camacho. Conley has authorized a warrant and wants the public's help in finding him. Here's a description: Camacho goes by the street names of ‘Fat Jesse,’ ‘Baby Jay,’ and ‘Syke.’ He is described as a heavyset Latin male standing between 5’5” and 5’7” tall, weighing about 280 lbs. He is believed to be armed and......

Music --DJ Spooky's Boston domination wraps up tonight with "Subliminal Strings," in which a string ensemble plays while being sampled live. ICA Boston, 8:00 pm, $20. --For something completely different, rising alt-country act Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, fresh off a homecoming at the Lizard Lounge, will be playing at Dante's in Marlborough at 9:30 pm. Comedy In case you haven't noticed, it is Bostonist's modus operandi to remind the world that women are......

Music Kimya Dawson has long been one of those buried indie-rock treasures, at least until the release of Juno. The former member of the Moldy Peaches and avid livejournal diarist contributes a large part of the soundtrack, and stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera cover one of her songs, "Anyone Else But You." In fact, Page suggested that Dawson be on the soundtrack since she felt Juno would be a Moldy Peaches fan. Bostonist......

Bluesman Weepin' Willie Robinson, the man who was rescued from a Jamaica Plain nursing home yesterday, has since died. An earlier report mentioned he went into cardiac arrest, but he was also burned by the fire, which started when he smoked in bed. Weepin' Willie Robinson's life unfolded like a blues song. In an obituary, the Globe noted that he performed with Bonnie Raitt and Steven Tyler, but he was found homeless in 2005. Local......

--More snow on the way tonight! Get your space-savers ready! [WBZ] --Danny Ainge and Robert Kraft are Mitt Men. [Boston Herald] --Another fire, this time at a nursing home in Jamaica Plain early this morning. But a heroic rescue team managed to get a resident who was suffering a heart attack out of harm's way, and no one else got hurt. [WHDH] --Police are still looking for the remains of the man who died......

What would December 25 in Boston be without an image of Dominic Luberto's light-filled wonderland? Image by tommyvon from photos tagged "Bostonist" on Flickr.......

The point of the holidays is to give as much as you receive, and tonight's chosen events (plus one announcement) have the giving spirit in mind. Music Benefit for Jeanne Sheehy at T.T. the Bear's with Jonny Pape, Auto Interiors, Joyce & Chick of Scarce, Downbeat 5, AdFrank, The Pills, and the Shods (who are returning after what their site describes as "a few years of vacation." 10 Brookline St., Cambridge, 9:05 pm. More......

Councilor John Tobin thinks that Dominic Luberto, the man whose "Christmas Castle" bathes Jamaica Plain in holiday light, is courting disaster. Tobin wants Luberto to hire a police detail because he thinks gawkers driving past the "Christmas Castle" might cause a car accident. It's a legitimate question. One of Luberto's neighbors said recently, "I love the lights. I just don't want anybody to get killed." Luberto is rebuffing Tobin's suggestion. He told WHDH that the......

Ahhh … BPD News is back. However, somebody hit "Publish" a few times, and the "Daily Incidents for Wednesday, December 12" appears several times. No matter, welcome back! And how could we resist a headline like "Do You Want to Tell the Police This?" A man marched into Roxbury B-2 on Wednesday night to tell police that he took a ride in an illegal cab. While in the cab, he and a friend decided to......

New PotD photogdecor8 captured this neat shot while on a walk in Jamaica Plain's Arnold Arboretum. We love the great depth of focus and the bright bold green. Welcome to our new contributor - lovely work! The snow is coming, we expect lots of fun snow days pictures to pop up in the pool over the next few days!......

We're so happy BPD News is back. How could we resist an item titled "GEORGE FOREMAN WOULD NOT BE HAPPY"? Well, Tuesday night in Jamaica Plain, a fight broke out between neighbors regarding "excessive noise." The person generating the "excessive noise" didn't like hearing about the noise and did something about it: According to the victim, a heated discussion ensued during which the suspect threw a grill at the victim. Victim tells officers that the......

COLOR Friday, December 7th Milky Way Lounge 403 Centre Street Jamaica Plain, MA 9pm / 21+ / $5 MySpace w/ resident Joseph Colbourne special guest: David Shaw A recently added night to Boston's blossoming dance party scene, COLOR - hosted by Ben Sisto - takes on a handful of meanings. Open to all, the genres spun cover a vibrant variety. The idea behind it, too, is to join art and music, bringing in guests......