Chelsea man held without bail after biting off part of officer’s ear
BOSTON, September 6, 2024 – A 27-year-old man is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing after being arraigned Tuesday in Chelsea District Court for biting off a piece of an officer’s ear during a domestic violence call last week, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
CARLOS SANABRIA, 27, of Chelsea was charged with mayhem, strangulation, assault and battery on a police officer, assault to murder, and resisting arrest.
Judge Jane Prince ordered Sanabria to be evaluated by a clinician and held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on September 20.
At about 2:20 p.m. on August 30, Chelsea police responded to the Chelsea Community Center at 207 Shurtleff Street for a domestic dispute. Upon arrival, officers encountered a male, later identified as Sanabria, being uncooperative. A center employee informed officers Sanabria had a video of a domestic incident involving his girlfriend. Sanabria refused to show the video to police and became increasingly more upset.
As Sanabria left the building, he began yelling at an officer before charging at him and throwing punches. The officer attempted to place Sanabria under arrest when both fell to the ground in a struggle with Sanabria on top. Sanabria continued to punch the officer and had the officer’s hands pinned down. Sanabria then bent his head down and bit the officer’s ear, tearing a piece of it off.
A second officer witnessed Sanabria on top of the officer and place him in a chokehold. The second officer deployed his Taser, striking Sanabria in the back. Officers were eventually able to handcuff Sanabria.
The officer was immediately treated and transported to a local hospital for further medical attention.
“A dangerousness hearing is entirely appropriate here to ensure the safety of first responders and the larger community. This is an example of how unpredictable domestic violence calls can be for police officers, and how rapidly their day-to-day responsibilities can turn chaotic. This officer was injured in the line of courageous duty and I wish him a quick recovery,” Hayden said.
The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country, can be reached at 800-656-4673.
Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.
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