Five Guns, Child Found in South End Bed Bug Search

The following information was supplied by the Boston Police Department. Charges listed do not indicate convictions.

Two South End residents face weapons charges after pest control inspectors found guns in their apartment. Following a search, officers turned up three more guns, some of which had altered serial numbers. 

Boston police officers responded to a report from the Boston housing police who had found firearms at 16 East Brookline Street on April 5.

When Boston police officers arrived, they observed the two suspects sitting in the parlor area handcuffed. Officers spoke with the Boston Housing Chief Stephen Melia that there were two firearms found under a mattress when pest control employees conducted an inspection of bedbugs in the apartment.

An employee told police that he lifted the mattress in the bedroom and found two handguns while inspecting for bedbugs. At this point, the worker informed his partner, who phoned their supervisor.

Boston Housing Police were dispatched at about 10:41 a.m.. The front door of the apartment was locked, so officers made contact with the housing manager.

According to the report, officers found a small child in the apartment with no parents in sight. Officers found the two suspects asleep on the mattress. The suspects would not wake up to verbal commands. When officers were able to awaken the suspects, they ordered them into the living room, flipped the mattress, and found a .380 and a Glock handgun.

Officers executed a search warrant for the apartment on at 11:52 a.m., and interrogated the suspects. The suspects told police that they knew that there were firearms under the mattress that they were sleeping on, but they had little knowledge of how the guns got there. The suspects told officers that other people also had access to the apartment.

 Officers found a Sentry Storage Safe located under the bed. The suspects denied ownership of this safe or any knowledge as to where it came from. Officers noted that this safe is common for containing weapons and contraband. Due to the weight of the safe and the noise from the interior, officers located the keys and opened it.

Inside, detectives found three revolvers and large plastic bags of ammunition, according to police. The ammunition was counted and totaled 300 rounds, which were all the same caliber as the weapons recovered on the scene. Two of the guns had defaced serial numbers and one was a large capacity firearm, police said.

Sayria Cooper of 16 East Brookline St. and Dannie Levy of 25 Donald Rd., Mattapan were arrested and charged with unlawful possession of firearms, possession of firearms with altered serial numbers, improper storage of firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition. 

SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates