BOSTON— Boston Police officers from District D-4 (South End) have arrested a man accused of armed robbery, leaving the community reeling.

On Sunday morning, authorities responded to a larceny in progress at 231 Massachusetts Avenue around 9:23 a.m., where a suspect allegedly threatened store employees with a canister of pepper spray before making a run for it. Reports indicate that the suspect, identified as 54-year-old Brian Lewis of Boston, fled towards Clearway Street, prompting a swift police response.

Officers quickly spotted a man matching Lewis's description near Belvedere Street and took him into custody, recovering a canister of pepper spray during a search. Lewis now faces charges of Armed Robbery and is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court.

This incident raises troubling questions about the safety of the area, especially as many residents have reported increased instances of crime linked to the ongoing struggles with addiction that have spread from the notorious Mass and Cass area.