BOSTON – A Somerville man is accused of attacking a 15-year-old girl in a bathroom at the Museum of Science. The alleged attack took place on Sunday, October 6.
Yandri Hernandez, 24, is charged with kidnapping a child, strangulation or suffocation, assault and battery. He is being held without bail.
The victim said she went into the bathroom on the first floor of the museum and her friend was waiting outside. She told police as she left a stall to wash her hands, she felt a hand come around her face and cover her mouth.
The victim told police the man said nothing but tried to restrain her. She could scream and run from the bathroom. Investigators said Hernandez immediately walked out of the bathroom after the victim and fled.
Video shows man outside bathroom for an hour
According to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office, the video shows a man, later identified as Hernandez, sitting in a lobby for about an hour Sunday morning before entering the bathroom.
Photos of the suspect have been released to local police. The next day, Cambridge police were able to identify the man as Hernandez from a tattoo on his left forearm. He was spotted and arrested in Somerville on Tuesday.
“This is a terrifying incident for anyone, especially a teenager simply enjoying an outing with a friend in a popular destination,” said Suffolk Country District Attorney Kevin Hayden. “This young woman’s description of her attacker, along with top-notch identification work based on the images distributed by investigators, led to the suspect being spotted and arrested just days after the incident.”
Hernandez is due back in court on Friday for a dangerousness hearing.
