Teens arraigned for armed robbery after stealing cell phones from Dorchester store
BOSTON, February 22, 2026, – Two Boston teens were arraigned February 12 in Dorchester BMC for charges stemming from an armed robbery of a technology store, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
DRE’QUAN SMITH, 19, of Dorchester, and D’JADEN SEQUIERA, 18, of Roxbury are charged as co-defendants with armed robbery. Sequiera was additionally charged in Dorchester BMC with assault with a dangerous weapon in relation to a different incident. Both Smith and Sequiera were ordered held without bail. They will return to court March 17 for a pre-trial hearing.
Smith currently has four open cases in Dorchester including charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, shoplifting, trespassing, receiving stolen property, and reckless operation of a motor vehicle
On February 4, officers responded to Sobrino’s Market at 416 Geneva Avenue in Boston to speak with a victim who was engaged in a dispute with two males in the store. The first male, later identified as Sequeira, who was unknown to the victim, approached him and asked if he was gay, which caused the altercation to escalate. Another male, later identified as Smith, called the victim derogatory names. The victim, in self-defense, removed a tire thumper from his pocket. Sequeira then lifted his jacket to brandish a firearm in his waistband, which the victim observed. Officers acquired video footage of the incident.
On February 10, officers responded to Marte Technology at 485 Geneva Avenue for a report of a larceny. A store employee informed officers that two juveniles in the store had requested to view a phone from the display case, which he denied. One of the teens, later identified as Smith, displayed a firearm in his waistband and threatened to “break” the victim’s face. The other teen, later identified as Sequiera, then broke into the display case with his foot and stole three cell phones. The two teens fled the store. The employee provided officers with surveillance footage of the incident, which led to the identification of Smith and Sequiera.
“These facts indicate a pattern of disturbing and dangerous behavior from these two young men. Despite not wishing anyone so young to get mired in the judicial system, we do have the primary duty of ensuring public safety, and will handle these matters accordingly,” Hayden said.
Hayden’s office, the Boston Police department, regional retailer groups and small business owners in 2024 launched the Safe Shopping Initiative, an effort to increase consumer safety and help store managers strategize responses to shoplifting and retail larcenies. The initiative formed amid increasing national and local frustrations around retail crime, along with concerns over the closure of several pharmacies serving minority communities in Boston.
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