19-year-old charged with stabbing juvenile held on $15k bail

BOSTON, December 5, 2023 – A 19-year-old was arraigned today in Chelsea District Court for stabbing a 17-year-old and smashing a window of a home on Hawthorne Street in Chelsea Monday afternoon, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

KENNY CUYUCH, 19, of East Boston, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife) and malicious destruction of property over $1,200. Judge Jane Prince ordered Cuyuch held on $15,000 bail with GPS monitoring and home confinement. Cuyuch will return to court on January 4.

At about 3:43 p.m. on December 4, Chelsea police responded to a fight near Park Square. As officers arrived, they observed two males running down Ellsworth Street toward Hawthorne Street. Officers noticed one of the males, wearing black sneakers, black pants, and a black jacket, with long hair in a ponytail, later identified as Cuyuch, bleeding from his right hand. The second male also had long hair and was wearing glasses, blue jeans, a tan T-shirt, and a jacket and a backpack. Officers recovered a black folding Husky blade in the second male’s front right pocket.

Cuyuch told officers he was involved in an altercation where he was chased by a group of six to seven individuals and struck with a baseball bat. Officers observed a bruise on Cuyuch’s head. Cuyuch was evaluated by EMS and refused further medical attention.

A witness told officers she observed a male described as thin build with a ponytail wearing a black jacket and black pants stab the victim with his right hand on Hawthorne Street. The witness told officers she heard the victim scream out in pain and observed the suspect holding a large knife with a white handle.

Officers located a juvenile suffering from stab wounds to his lower abdomen and lower back in the area of Essex and Hawthorne streets. The victim told officers he was attacked by three males, two wearing all black with ski masks, and the third male had a pony tail, wearing a white shirt, and grey sweatpants. The victim was transported to Mass General Hospital for further treatment.

Video surveillance in the area shows Cuyuch and two other males chasing a group into a home on Hawthorne Street. Cuyuch is seen approaching the home and throwing what appears to be a large rock through a window, causing significant damage. The group is then seen exiting the home with baseball bats and chasing after Cuyuch down Hawthorne Street toward Essex Street.

While in custody, officers located a black ski mask in Cuyuch’s jacket pocket. Cuyuch was evaluated by EMS and refused medical attention.

“All violence, particularly violence like this—a group of young people attacking each other in broad daylight with baseball bats and knives—inflicts injuries beyond those suffered by the immediate victims.  Our neighborhoods themselves are injured. Fortunately there were no fatalities here, but a young person is seriously hurt and another young person is facing serious charges. There’s nothing but tragedy in that reality,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications