BOSTON — A 29-year-old Boston man with a criminal history stretching back nearly a decade is behind bars after prosecutors say he brutally beat a 77-year-old neighbor during a confrontation over a misdelivered Amazon package — all while he was already out on bail and probation.
According to police and prosecutors, Khalil Muhammad was arrested after the violent attack at an apartment building on Cummins Highway in Mattapan late last month.
Investigators say the elderly victim went to Muhammad’s apartment after learning his Amazon package had been mistakenly delivered to the wrong door. What followed, authorities allege, was a sudden and vicious assault.
The victim told police that Muhammad punched him in the face, stole his phone, and continued attacking him as he tried to get away. Prosecutors say the 77-year-old attempted to flee upstairs to his apartment, but Muhammad followed him and kept beating him.
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When officers arrived, they found the elderly man badly injured, with his eyes swollen shut and blood visible on his face. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
A neighbor who witnessed the aftermath called 911, later describing the victim as severely beaten and barely able to open his eyes.
Repeat offender was already free
Court records show Muhammad had been free in the community despite a long rap sheet that includes prior violent offenses in both Massachusetts and New York dating back to 2015.
At the time of the alleged attack, he was on probation in two separate cases and had an open criminal case in East Boston involving multiple serious charges. Despite that history, he remained out on bail until the alleged assault on the elderly man.
Only after the attack did a judge revoke Muhammad’s bail and order him held on a detention detainer for violating probation.
Muhammad now faces charges including assault and battery on a person over 60 and unarmed robbery. He is expected back in court later this month.
The case has renewed scrutiny on how repeat offenders with violent histories continue to cycle through the system — often remaining free until someone is seriously hurt.