Preventable Tragedies in MA due to Untreated Serious Mental Illness

Boston Area News reports

Updated March 28, 2025

To date there have been 83 tragedies tracked from Boston news reports alone, 50 lives have been lost and many more impacted!

Over the course of the past four years, AOTNOW has tracked what we believe to be preventable tragedies here in Massachusetts. These preventable tragedies involve individuals believed or known to be suffering from serious mental illness – an illness that has often gone untreated.

March 4, 2025, Alina Dunham, 24 of Quincy, is accused of ramming a Massachusetts State Police cruiser with a stolen vehicle before leading troopers on a chase. The van was reported to be driving erratically on I-93. Alina was charged with stealing a Boston Fire vehicle in February 2021 and two months later in April was charged with stealing a U-Haul and driving recklessly. It was reported alcohol was not involved.

March 4, 2025, Thaddeus Joseph, 22, of Avon, allegedly killed his mother, who was found facedown in the kitchen in a pool of blood and a bloodied carving knife near her body. Joseph’s father reported that his son had been experiencing mental health issues, including anxiety and feelings of self-harm. Police reported that Joseph was acting erratically upon arrest.

January 15, 2025, Kevin Coelho, crashed his vehicle into a building after previously crashing his vehicle into a bank two days earlier. The woman who was held against her will and in the passenger seat called police. After speaking with the man, police noticed he was in a “state of altered mental status”. Coelho allegedly had been making comments which were suicidal/homicidal in nature and there were reports of concern regarding his access to firearms. He is currently being held at Bridgewater State Hospital. He had asked the officer during the first crash if he knew how to check the electronics to see if the electronics inside of his car were hacked and told officers he would not leave the bank unti the “CIA” arrived.  Coelho is an army veteran who served in Afghanistan, where he was injured and received a purple heart. It was reported that the sergeant had spoken to a charge nurse at Cape Cod Hospital stating that Coelho should be evaluated by a mental health professional and was advised that it was hospital policy not to evaluate any person under arrest. Ultimately he was released from Barnstable District Court after his arraignment and the second crash happened putting other lives in danger once again.

January 7, 2025, Angel Torres Morales, 23 was arrested after opening the door on a plane taxiing out of Logan Airport. At arraignment, his attorney said he suffered from a psychotic episode and did not remember what had happened. Morales suffers from mental health issues and was ordered to continue with mental health assessment and treatment, including medication.

December 15, 2024,  a police officer in Fitchburg shot a man who was making “suicidal statements” and allegedly pointed his gun at the officer.

December 11, 2024, a barricaded man was found dead after an overnight standoff at an Allston apartment building. Details have not yet been released.

December 11, 2024, a man in his late 20’s was taken into custody after a three-hour standoff in Methuen.  Police could not give details as this was considered a “domestic violence” incident.

December 8, 2024, a man was sent to the hospital for a medical evaluation after he was spotted running around train tracks in Charlestown in his undergarments and a submerged vehicle was recovered form the water nearby.

November 18, 2024, Heather MacKinnon, 61 of Plainville was arrested after allegedly lighting her furniture on fire in her apartment complex and displacing more than 20 of her neighbors. Representation for McKinnon believes this is a result of mental health issues and asked the court for an evaluation.

November 7, 2024, Nikolas Rescigno, 31 of Hyannis is accused of stabbing a teenage girl in a random and unprovoked attack in a Dollar Tree store. He had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court from another incident involving a knife at the Cape Cod Mall in May of 2023. Rescigno has a known history of mental illness.

September 30, 2024, Alan Eugene Stec, 61 year old of East Bridgewater, attacked a pickup truck driver biting his arm and then attempted to run him and his passengers over while standing in the yard. Stec attempted to take off in his vehicle toward a wooded area in the back of his house before he tried to flee on foot. Officers used a stun gun to take Stec into custody. Stec told the judge he did not hit anyone and that he was hoping to go to a job interview on Tuesday. He is due back in court on Wednesday for a dangerousness hearing and a mental health evaluation.

September 24, 2024,  Christian Alexander from Reading was arrested on suspicion of cutting his mother and father with a razor blade. Alexander’s father was found at the home bleeding profusely from the neck, while his mother was slashed across the chest. “I just had a psycho attack, I didn’t mean it,” Alexander told the arresting officer. It was reported by his mother that her son has substance abuse and mental health issues.

September 23, 2024, Djeff Josa, 29 years old of Taunton, was arrested after hitting multiple police cars in Weymouth. Police responded to an incident reporting that a man was acting erratically in a laundromat, yelling profanities and hitting machines. He was taken to a nearby hospital for an evaluation. Josa was seen in court bobbing his head up and down, side to side, and dancing while being arraigned in court.

August 20, 2024, John Madej, 51 years old of South Boston, was arrested after chasing people with a large knife. Madej is an unregistered sex offender with a history of serious mental illness. He reportedly swore at the judge in court and his public defender. It was reported that Madej had stopped taking his medication and was exhibiting signs of psychosis. Madej, who was already wanted on a warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, was scheduled to appear in court on September 10, after spending 20 days at Bridgewater State Hospital.

August 19, 2024, Jennifer Paez, 35 years old, killed her nine month old baby boy before taking her own life. Court documents revealed that Paez had a long history of mental illness and known to police. There were reports that she made irrational comments in the past about being ‘God’ and was speaking in different dialects that did not make sense to officers. Just one month earlier police were called to the home on Turnpike Street for a domestic incident. Paez was allegedly demanding a DNA test, suddenly believing she was not her mother’s biological daughter.

August 15, 2024, Matthew Paluzzi, 26 years old, allegedly killed his 76 year old father by stabbing him in the neck. Anthony was found on the couch by his mother. Paluzzi was living with his parents after he allegedly pointed a gun at an ATM drive-thru employee in 2020 and asked her if she wanted to die. He had been on probation and through several mental health treatment programs. Paluzzi’s attorney asked for money for a forensic psychologist.

July 27, 2024, Kymani Walker, 19 years old, allegedly stabbed a man outside of the Liberty Hotel. It was reported that the suspect “lunged at the victim with knife several times” and that the victim shouted, “I don’t know you.” Walker was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.

July 4, 2024,  Manuel Cardoso, 44 years old, was sent for a mental health evaluation after he was reported to have urinated on the side of a house in Dorchester and attempted to kidnap a child. The man was asked to leave the area when found urinating in public at which time he grabbed a child by the back of the neck and tried to drag him toward the street. A forensic psychologist reported that the man was unable to have any coherent conversation.

June 26, 2024, Prasiddha Baruwal, 28 of Everett was accused of setting fire to the Squealing Pig in Mission Hill. Baruwal was a former employee of the restaurant and was fired for inappropriate behavior. He was arraigned after a 20 day stay at Bridgewater State Hospital after being found not competent to stand trial.

June 6, 2024, Jessica Cavallaro, 24 of Bedford shot both her parents and killed them. Jessica left work early because of a panic attack and she told her boyfriend’s father she was going to get breakfast with her parents who lived nearby. Upon entering the back of her parent’s SUV, she shot them both in the back of the head with a gun believed to have been taken from a safe inside the home she was living in. She was ordered for a psychiatric evaluation.

May 25, 2024, Jared Ravizza, 26 of Chilmark was arrested after stabbing 4 young girls inside a Braintree movie theater. He was reported to have been laughing as he stabbed them. Ravizza then fled to Plymouth where he stabbed two McDonald’s employees. He is also a suspect in a homicide in Connecticut. Ravizza attacked his father in April and was released by Martha’s Vineyard Hospital as he did not meet the dangerousness criteria to be held at that time.

May 22, 2024, Dominique Long 31, was shot by police after being called to the scene in Malden with reports that “The guy was acting pretty crazy.” Long was arguing with a woman and was armed with a knife being aggressive. After refusing to drop the knife and being tased, Long was shot as he advanced on the officers.

May 7, 2024, Ygor Barboza, 24 of Barnstable was accused of stabbing his 62 year-old father. He reported “God made him do it” and “we’re all children of God.” Witnesses told police he was heard saying he was “the king of Egypt”. The attorney representing Barboza reported that he suffered from mental illness and the family was unable to get him the help he needed.

April 17, 2024 30 year old Ladarrell Murchison appeared in court for throwing multiple Molotov cocktails into a childhood friend’s home. The victim reports that he then yelled expletives and had no idea why he would do this. His attorney reports that he suffers from mental illness and needs help, not jail.

April 5, 2024, Michael Williams 51 of Bridgewater was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, trespassing, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct after police were called to city hall for a man yelling racial slurs, being combative and asked to leave the building. He was committed to Bridgewater State Hospital for a mental health evaluation. There had been reports that he had been at a previous meeting and people in attendance feared he was going to hurt someone.

March 18, 2024, Genesis Hurtado, 26 of Chelsea was arrested on charges that she set fires inside 3 East Boston stores. Her lawyer stated there are competency issues and Hurtado is currently being held without bail awaiting a competency evaluation.

March 14, 2024, Elismar Ferreira of Weymouth was subdued with a taser gun after driving a limousine erratically near an elementary school. HIs attorney told the judge Ferreira struggles with his mental health and was distraught because he hadn’t seen his son in two months.

March 6, 2024, 30 year old Justin Moreira was accused of holding his mother at knifepoint and shooting at police in a Hyannis standoff. He was scheduled to attend court that morning for previously threatening to shoot up a school in May of 2022. His mother reported that he stated, “The Feds are going to get me, I am going to get killed”.

February 29, 2024, Mariam Dealmedia age-38 of Boston was arrested after robbing a bank in South Boston. Her boyfriend reported she had been in treatment and said, “She’s a good person. I don’t know, something just triggered her, but she doesn’t need to be in jail. Jail ain’t gonna help her,” Delmeida’s lawyer said she suffers from mental illness and addiction.

February 21, 2024, a 33-year-old man was arrested in Boston after pushing a 69-year-old victim towards the tracks at the subway station.

February 19, 2024, police received a call to perform a well-check on a Marshfield woman. 42-year-old Gina Martell exhibited delusional and paranoid behavior and attacked two officers with a ceramic figure injuring them. Martell has an extensive history, including multiple violent encounters with the police. She is known to conceal weapons within her clothes and body. 

February 16, 2024, Emmanual Lopes was found guilty of murdering Weymouth police sergeant and 77-year-old woman back in 2018. His mom reported that he had a long history of schizophrenia (his father and other family members had schizophrenia), slit his throat when he was in high school and she begged the hospital to keep him 4 weeks earlier. She was told that he reported not wanting to hurt himself or others thus he couldn’t be kept. This was a retrial after a mistrial over the summer when jurors could not agree on the verdict.

February 6, 2024, Joseph Hurley 62 of Danvers was arraigned in the hospital after allegedly shooting his wife 4 times and asking the judge if she was dead. He is being treated for undisclosed medical issues. His wife was in critical condition and Hurley was taken to the hospital for a wound on his chest that apparently was self-inflicted.

January 31, 2024, 44-year-old Jonathan Paluzzi was arrested after he allegedly tried to poison his dog with fentanyl before stabbing it to death. A judge ordered him to undergo a 20-day evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital to determine his criminal responsibility and competency to stand trial. Paluzzi's attorney said the case serves as "an example of why we need better mental health treatment and early intervention services.

January 20, 2024, 53-year-old Michael Ortega barricaded himself inside his Wilbraham home after suspect's daughter texted 911 fearing for her and her mother's lives. She reported that her father was threatening to shoot them. Gunfire was exchanged injuring a 29-year-old police officer. Ortega was found in the breezeway with gunshot wounds and transported to the hospital. Both the child and mother escaped without harm. It was reported that Ortega suffered from anger issues and depression.

December 29, 2023, A SWAT team was called to a Mattapan building hours before the man shot at firefighters. Officers were called and spoke to the man who was experiencing psychosis. The officers left when the man refused to come out of his apartment. 48-year-old Julius Allen Owens was arrested 8 hours later after shooting at firefighters when they were called to put out a fire in that building at which time Owens began shooting at them. He was arrested after jumping out a window, paranoid that people were chasing him.

December 27, 2023, a 21-year-old male was arrested in Cambridge after attacking his father and almost killing him. He was experiencing extreme bipolar psychosis, has a history of being homeless, released from programs on several occasions for non-compliance and refused services from DMH as he didn’t believe he was ill. Eleven months later the attack on his father took place and he is now at Bridgewater State Hospital. (Story reported by his Mother, this was considered a domestic violence incident and shielded from the media and public).

December 6, 2023, Samuel Patillo, 36 was pronounced dead after officers used pepper spray and tased him. Police were called to the Dedham home after a 911 call to alerted police that two family members had been stabbed. New reports indicated that Patillo was showing signs of mental and physical distress at the scene before being taken to the hospital.

November 8, 2023, Cheryl Rios, 50 years old of Stoneham, was arrested after stabbing her 81-year-old mother and adult daughter in their home. She was reported to be having a mental health crisis.

October 22, 2023, Aaron Pennington, 33 of Gardner, is wanted in connection with shooting his 30-year-old wife Breanne while his 4 children were in the house. Breanne’s aunt reported that Aaron was suffering from mental health issues and it was a failure of the mental health system.

June 25, 2023, Christopher Ferguson 41, allegedly killed three people in Newton. It was reported that he had been manic since February and had recently been discharged from the hospital despite family believing he was not stable. The family had repeatedly been trying to get Christopher help. He has a long-known history of bipolar disorder. 

May 28, 2023, April Monroe, 48, from Somerville was charged with strangling her mother. She had a known history of mental illness though not violence. She told police she found her mother with blood coming out of her mouth and then went to a club to listen to music.

May 14, 2023, 23-year-old Shawn O’Connell was shot by an Oxford Police officer when charging him with a sword. The officer encountered O’Connell at 6AM in the roadway with a sword in hand. 

March 15, 2023, 38-year-old Jonathan Pinney of Boston was arrested for attempting to lift his disabled wife out of a wheelchair and throw her into the Fort Point Channel. Pinney told officers that he believed his wife was an imposter and was attempting to dump her into the channel. He was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for an evaluation.

March 13, 2023, Dion Pelzer whose last known residence was The Pine Street Inn was arrested after being called to Boston Medical Center for a disturbance. Pelzer is accused of slashing a stranger’s throat before eating the 75-year-old victim’s food and sleeping on his couch in the West End. Other reports indicate Pelzer has a long history of severe mental illness and has been seen wandering the streets.

March 9, 2023, Monica Velez-Carbello, 35 of Mattapan attacked a 13-year-old boy with a jagged can while he was waiting for a bus with his friends at Andrew Station. The woman was walking around the bus stop yelling obscenities and told police officers the boy threw a chemical on her face & it was burning though there was no evidence to support her claims.

March 5, 2023, Francisco Torres, 33 of Leominster was acting erratically on a plane from Los Angeles to Boston after attempting to open the exit door while in the air. He was speaking nonsensically threatening people and attacked a flight attendant with a spoon that was broken in half. Torres has a long-known history of mental illness.

February 5, 2023, Marianne Griffiths 56 of Easton was shot dead by police after her son called for a wellness check. Marianne has known mental health issues and suicidal ideation. Police had been to her house on previous occasions for threats of harming herself. She appeared in the doorway with what looked to be a rifle and was shot at that time. The gun was found to be a BB gun. Some believe the response was overkill with approximately 35 cruisers being sent to her street.

January 24, 2023, Lindsay Clancy of Duxbury was found in her home by her husband after jumping out a window. Her 3 children were found strangled. It is speculated that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis. This devastating tragedy should bring much needed awareness to the way other psychotic disorders are treated in Massachusetts. Current law is a barrier in getting medically necessary treatment for those most at risk.

December 27, 2022, Alexandra Eckersley gave birth in N.H. woods and left her newborn in a freezing tent. The family reports, “Allie has suffered from severe mental illness her entire life. Allie was hospitalized numerous times for her illness and lived in several residential programs. We did our very best to get Allie all of the help and support humanly possible. Once Allie became an adult there was even less we could do because she was legally free to make her own decisions as long as she was not a danger to herself and others. Under existing laws, there was simply no way to force her to receive treatment. Nonetheless, we continued to support her as best we could.” The family lives/lived in Massachusetts.

December 28, 2022, Latasha Sanders of Brockton was ordered to spend the rest of her life behind bars Wednesday, December 28, 2022 for murdering two of her children in 2018, an act of violence her family believes was caused by overpowering mental illness and a crime that led the sentencing judge to invoke the words of an ancient Greek poet. Sander’s mother told police that before the boys’ deaths, her daughter had become obsessed with the illuminati and ritual sacrifices. Her mother believed Sanders was mentally ill but said she refused to seek treatment.

December 27, 2022, in Dorchester, 45 year old Nikia Rivera set a triple decker house on fire. She told police that she “had to” light the house on fire, saying the house was haunted and that “The devil made me do it.” She also believed ghosts were in her house. Rivera was ordered to undergo evaluation at a state mental health facility in Worcester.

December 23, 2022, in Quincy, 18 year old Gustavo Woodward attacked a woman near the MBTA station and tried to remove her clothing. Woodward was hearing voices and had a history of bipolar disorder. He is being evaluated at Bridgewater State Hospital.

December 18, 2022, 35-year-old Brien Buckley of Cohasset was arrested after trying to cut through the front of the police station with a chainsaw after calling police and requesting that they watch his two children. He went back to his house and was dangling his children out the window. After an hours-long negotiation he was arrested and taken to Bridgewater for evaluation and is known to have a long psychiatric history.

November 30, 2022, Christopher Keeley 27 years old of Weymouth is a suspect in killing an elderly Marshfield couple and their dog. He was living with the couple. He is known to have a history of mental illness and prior involvement with the court.

September 30, 2022, in Truro, 34-year-old Adam Howe killed his mother and set her on fire. Police responded to a wellness check. Family reports he has known mental health issues. Adam was ordered for involuntary commitment by a Judge at 3am in the morning but was refused by Bridgewater State Hospital due to administrative errors (noted it needed to be a section 19). Adam was placed in Ash St. jail in New Bedford on 15-minute checks due to his suicidal risk and found dead. He clogged his nostrils and airways with wet toilet paper. Two lives tragically lost because of a broken mental health care system in Massachusetts.

March 15, 2022 in Boston, 23 year old Najee Herbert, stabbed his mother to death after an argument over a suicide note she found in his phone. Najee had no criminal record. He had self-inflicted wounds and was brought to the hospital. The judge has ordered Najee to be transferred to Bridgewater State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

February 12, 2022, in Lexington, a 35-year-old man belonging to a group home that housed those with mental illness was found in the driveway brandishing a knife. He did not follow commands to drop the knife. With bean bag projectiles being unsuccessful in stopping him, he was shot and killed by police.

January 23, 2022, in Burlington, 42-year-old Paul Courtemanche is in critical condition after being shot by officers outside of his apartment building. Officers responded to the apartment complex after the man called 911 reporting he was experiencing a mental health crisis. The man came outside wielding a knife refusing to drop it. He later died.

January 19, 2022, in Boston on Mass Ave. 39-year-old Carmen Polito of Brockton was chased by police while acting erratically and wielding a knife. He was chased by police and apprehended and is now facing two counts of assault by means of a dangerous weapon and one count of resisting arrest. Mr. Polito has known mental health issues and was found by police praying to the sky, speaking irrationally and had tried to carjack someone stuck in traffic.

December 14, 2021, The skeletal remains of Brad Cappucci, 33 years old were found in Darby Canyon, Wyoming. Brad, who suffered from schizophrenia, was last seen by his sister and mother in August of 2019 in a Massachusetts courtroom at a commitment hearing. Brad’s mother, sister, and a psychiatrist were fighting to have him held against his will for treatment. The judge didn’t find any evidence of violence, suicide or abuse thus denied hospitalization. He was released and this was the last time his family saw him. His remains were found by a hiker out with his dog in Darby Canyon where he had been living since mid-September.

December 2, 2021, in Somerville 28 year old Shakeel Bodden stabbed his sister’s 33 year old boyfriend to death. Bodden was acting very strangely looking at the victim as if he had done something wrong. The victim went downstairs to try and get away, but Bodden followed when a fight ensued. Bodden has a history of schizophrenia, was sectioned to a mental health facility in mid-November and released on Monday. 

November 26, 2021, in Winchester at Middlesex Falls Reservation, 28 year old Brady McCue attacked a women with a rock, raped her repeatedly, and left her for dead. Brady has a long history of schizophrenia and was followed by DMH. Brady was released from Anna Jaques Hospital on Monday before the attack and his father noted that he was starting to show signs of aggression on Thanksgiving Day.

November 9, 2021, in Dorchester 29 year old Nadeem Patrick struck a girl with a pipe before attempting to sexually assault her near a Dorchester school. He suffers from schizophrenia.

November 9, 2021, in Dorchester 37-year-old Dashaun Wright was involved in a standoff with police at his home. Three officers were injured and Dashaun was shot and killed. He was known to police and had a long history of mental illness.

August 14, 2021, in Saugus 38 year old Stephanie Gerardi was shot and killed by police when they were called to her house by a family member as she was experiencing a mental health crisis. She was “brandishing” a knife and had known mental health illness. Stephanie was described by a friend as “kind, sweet and loving”. She leaves two children behind.

June 21, 2021 in Springfield 43 year old Jose Montanez was exhibiting bizarre behavior waving a gun, fortunately police were able to intervene without anyone being hurt. Montanez is known to the criminal justice system with a criminal record and reports have indicated that his bizarre behavior was due to mental illness. This could have been a very tragic outcome; despite his multiple arrests he continues to be let back out on the streets. Untreated mental illness is a danger to the public, yet many are released back onto the streets without adequate treatment as Montanez has been in the past.

May 9, 2021, in Leicester 24-year-old Zachary Richardson drove his car into a police station. He was shot and killed. Zachary was known to have mental health and drug abuse problems.

March 4, 2021, in Haverhill 23-year-old Jake Kavanaugh attacked 54 year old Janet Blanchard and her 26 year old pregnant daughter while they were walking their dogs. He suffers from mental health illness.

February 8, 2021, in East Bridgewater 42-year-old Steven Walcott Jr. killed his father. He lived with bipolar disorder. His family repeatedly tried to get him help.

January 5, 2021, in Newton 28-year-old Michael Conlon was shot and killed by police when called to a candy store by the owner who was afraid when Conlon was trying to talk to her with a knife in hand. He suffered from known mental health issues and was off of his medications. Many described him as a “gentle giant”.

December 18, 2020, in Mashpee 26-year-old Andrew Bailey strangled and punched his mother killing her because he thought she was a spy. He had a history of mental health illness and had been recently released from the hospital.

December 10, 2020, in Middleborough Ryan True 21 years old with bipolar disorder brutally stabbed his parents. He lived with bipolar disorder and was off of his medications.

November 16, 2020, in Wayland Richard Kane Jr. 41 years old, killed his mother and took his own life. He battled mental health issues.

November 2, 2020, in Winchester Thomas Celona 35-year-old suffered from mental illness and was under the influence of drugs when police responded to a 911 call that two men had broken into his apartment. Officers heard furniture being tossed and forced their way inside, where they found Celona alone, stabbing a sliding glass door with kitchen knives. He did not respond to police instructions to put the knife down and was shot and killed. He was known by police officers and known to suffer from mental illness. He had been hospitalized just a week before for confused and bizarre behavior but was allowed to sign himself out. 

March 2020, John Brittan 27 of Amesbury killed his mother and injured his father after stabbing them. John suffers from schizophrenia telling police that his “alleged mother” had kidnapped and tried to poison him.

February 7, 2020, Juston Root 41-year-old who lived with bipolar and schizoaffective disorder was shot and killed by police in Boston while experiencing a mental health crisis.

October 24, 2019, Sean Murphy 21-year-old fatally stabbed his mother in their Plainville home. He heard voices in his head telling him to kill his mother. He believed the CIA and National Security Agency had planted devices in his head. Patrick Murphy, Sean’s Dad, described Sean as a supportive and empathetic peer counselor at college. Sean was a talented, intelligent writer who finished his four year bachelor’s degree in three years, was a nonviolent person and never had behavior problems.