Two charged in vehicle assault incident outside Boston nightclub
BOSTON, March 17, 2026 – A man and woman are facing charges in connection with an early-morning assault outside a downtown nightclub last month where they struck three victims with a vehicle before being spotted and arrested by police several blocks away, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
DARIUS BOYCE, 45, of Saugus, was charged in BMC Central on March 2 with three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of improper storage of a firearm, and one count of reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
Judge James Stanton set bail at $2,400 and ordered Boyce to stay away from the location of the incident and all victims involved. Boyce will return to court April 2 for a pre-trial hearing.
MARIA MORAES, 25, was charged with interfering with police and disorderly conduct. Judge Stanton released Moraes on personal recognizance with the stipulation to stay away from the location of the offense. Moraes will return to court May 5 for a pre-trial hearing.
At around 2:00 a.m. on February 28, three people flagged down Boston police outside the W Boston Hotel at 100 Stuart Street and told them that a blue Jeep Wrangler “flew in and tried to hit like 15 people,” outside of ICON nightclub. The victims said the Jeep had struck all three of them at an approximate speed of 5-10 mph, before the male driver and a female passenger exited the vehicle and attempted to fight them. A third person in the rear seat leaned over the center console while brandishing a firearm. The person with the gun then exited the vehicle and said, “Do you want to die [expletive]?”.
The victims said that the suspects stole a cell phone and purse before fleeing in the vehicle. The victims pursued on foot and obtained the license plate number, which they gave to police.
Officers located and stopped the Jeep minutes later at Kneeland and Albany streets. Officers identified the driver as Boyce and the front seat passenger as Moraes. The third man was not in the vehicle.
Officers located an empty holster in the center console and asked Boyce if there was a firearm in the vehicle. He said there wasn’t. Officers unlocked the glove compartment and found a loaded Smith & Wesson .380 pistol. Boyce claimed that he never brandished a firearm and blamed a passenger he identified only as “DJ Blaze.” In a show-up identification the victims said they were “100 percent certain” that Boyce and the female passenger were involved and confirmed that Boyce, the driver, had struck them with the Jeep. Officers arrested Boyce and then arrested Moraes after she repeatedly attempted to re-enter the vehicle while it was being processed.
“Despite enduring an extremely frightening experience these three victims had the presence of mind to give crucial identifying information, including the license plate number, to police. That allowed police quickly located the vehicle and take the suspects into custody,” 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