Overview

• On July 28 at Dudley and Washington streets in Roxbury, 69-year-old Willie Cowart allegedly tried to place a chemical-soaked red handkerchief over a 14-year-old’s mouth.
• The teenager escaped to the nearby Nubian Square bus station and contacted Boston police, who quickly located and arrested Cowart carrying the handkerchief.
• Investigators discovered multiple chemical cleaning agents in Cowart’s Dorchester vehicle after his arrest.
• Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden described the incident as “strange, and extremely disturbing” and expressed relief that the victim suffered no apparent injuries.
• Cowart is scheduled to return to Roxbury Municipal Court on August 8 for an appointment-of-counsel hearing under Massachusetts pretrial rules.