Boston teen arraigned for stealing man’s suitcase and throwing it on MBTA tracks causing an explosion

BOSTON, January 20, 2026 – A Dorchester teen was arraigned Friday in BMC Central in connection with a larceny and an explosion at the State Street MBTA station, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

ADDONIS REED, 19, is charged with obstructing or endangering a railroad, larceny from a person, unarmed robbery, disorderly conduct and two counts of malicious destruction of property. Reed has an open case in Roxbury BMC for disorderly conduct, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault on a police officer from December. Reed also has an open case out of BMC Central for disorderly conduct, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault on ambulance personnel from January 6.

Judge Mark Summerville ordered Reed held on $10,000 bail for his most recent charges and revoked bail for 60 days on his open cases. He is also ordered to stay away from the victim and all MBTA stops. Reed will return to court February 20 for a probable cause hearing.

At approximately 11:20 p.m. on January 14, five juveniles engaged in a confrontation with another MBTA rider at the State Street stop at 200 Washington Street. The teens accused the victim of photographing them, which the victim denied. One of the teens, later identified as Reed, separated from the group and followed the victim, continuing to engage. Reed is seen on MBTA security footage taking the victim’s phone from his hand and throwing it on the ground several times, causing it to break into multiple pieces.

As the victim attempted to gather his belongings, Reed forcefully took the victim’s suitcase and threw it onto the train tracks. The suitcase hit the third rail and created a large explosion, catching on fire. Police, Fire, and MBTA security responded to the incident. The track was closed, patrons were evacuated, and train service was suspended. The victim told officers his suitcase contained two iPads, an Acer laptop, Apple AirPods, and chargers for all the devices, with a total value of over $3,000.

Transit officers later identified Reed by reviewing surveillance footage of the incident and matching Reed’s description to an individual seen at the State Street station the following day.

“This is an alarming set of facts, both with the fear that the victim must have experienced during the incident and the destruction of his property and subsequent station evacuation and shutdown in service. I’m grateful for the quick work of transit officers in identifying and arresting this defendant,” 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. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications