Homeless Man Arrested Following Attempted Kidnapping In Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Police arrested a 52-year-old homeless man around 7:25 a.m. Saturday in connection to an incident on Thursday in which a man grabbed a preteen girl by the arm and tried to force her and her sister into an alley. Lionel Ivan Brathwaite, Jr. was charged with two counts of kidnapping. An arrest warrant was issued Friday and Cambridge Police officer on patrol in Central Square spotted him Saturday morning.

Police released video of the man walking with the two girls in hopes of getting the public's help in identifying the suspect, Patch reported earlier. The girls told police they were walking together at approximately 5:30 p.m. when they were approached by a man they had not seen before in the area of Pleasant Street and Auburn Street, according to police.

The man asked for directions and then grabbed one of the sisters by the arm. He then proceeded to hold on to the girl and take the sisters down several streets and then stopped at what police believed was Salem Street.

He asked the sisters if they wanted to go down an alley with him, and when the sisters said no, the man told them he was sorry, and let go of the girl. The girls ran off. They described the man to police as black, in his 40s or 50s, and about 5'8" and as wearing a black jacket and beanie hat. The girls told police he smelled like alcohol.

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PREVIOUSLY ON PATCH:

• Girls Report Strangers Grabbing, Following Them: Cambridge Police
• Police Release Video Of Man Accused Of Grabbing Girls In Cambridge

Patch file photo via Shutterstock.