Hyde Park man arraigned for Jamaica Plain break-ins

BOSTON, August 18, 2026 – A Hyde Park man was arraigned last week in Roxbury BMC on charges related to two home break-ins in Jamaica Plain, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.  

MICHAEL SMITH, 37, is charged with breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony and placing a person in fear, breaking and entering, and assault. Judge Dana Pierce ordered that Smith wear a GPS monitor with an exclusion zone from the victims and their homes. Smith will return to court October 1 for a pre-trial hearing.

Just before 4 a.m. on August 2, Boston police responded to 180 Heath Street in Jamaica Plain for a report of a breaking and entering in progress. Officers spoke with the victim, a 23-year-old woman, who said that she was sleeping in her bedroom when she was woken up by a noise. She saw an individual in her door frame shine a flashlight toward her and place her cat in the bedroom before closing the door. After a few minutes, she walked out of the room and saw the man, later identified as Michael Smith, in her bathroom. Smith lunged toward the victim, yelling, “boo!” and then fled her apartment by the fire escape. The victim told officers she had left the fire escape window open before falling asleep.

Three days later, at around 6:50 a.m. on August 5, police responded to 182 Heath Street in Jamaica Plain for a report of a breaking and entering in progress. The victim, an 80-year-old man, told officers that he was sleeping and was awakened when someone crawled in through his window and attempted to pull the covers off his bed. The individual then exited the apartment through the same window. The victim said that the window was partially open when he went to sleep.

Investigators circulated still images from surveillance footage to residents in the area to identify the individual. Michael Smith himself then called the police station and identified himself as the person in the images.

“These are the types of crimes that make residents feel unsafe in their homes and can put entire communities on edge. They impact quality of life.  I’m grateful for the solid police work in circulating the images that led to this defendant turning himself in,” 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