A Suffolk County Grand Jury has indicted 30-year-old Clifton Moore with first-degree murder in the Sept. 6 beating death of Joshua Rivera, 54, who was sleeping in a Charleston playground.
According to a press release by the Suffolk County District Attorney, Moore is already locked up in Middlesex County on an unrelated assault charge.
Suffolk County District Attorney John P. Pappas said in the statement that people who call the streets home face an increased risk to their safety.
“Like too many people, Mr. Rivera was particularly vulnerable as he slept outside with no place to call home,” Pappas said. “I want to commend the Boston Police detectives and Suffolk prosecutors who committed themselves to speaking for him, and I’m especially grateful to the witnesses who stepped forward to share what they saw and what they knew. They were absolutely critical in helping us build this case.”
According to police, witnesses watched a man in a grey hoodie repeatedly beat what they say they believed was an empty bench. They waited until the man left the area before calling emergency services.
Rivera died at the scene from blunt force trauma to his head.
A suspect matching witness’ description was captured on an MBTA camera entering the playground carrying a baseball bat shortly before the attack, and leaving a minute-and-a-half later. Police say Moore was wearing the same shoes and backpack captured in the Charleston video when he was arrested in Somerville about month later allegedly assaulting a woman with a baseball bat.
Moore is scheduled to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court Jan. 2, 2019.
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