Two Men Charged With Intimidating Witnesses in Sierra Murder Case

Two young men with possible gang connections have been charged with intimidating witnesses at the Edward Brooke Courthouse during Tuesday’s proceedings surrounding the murder of South End teenager .

Derrick Hunt, 21, of Roxbury and Jose Maysonet, 19, of the South End, were arraigned on witness intimidation charges today and released on personal recognizance by Boston Municipal Court Judge Annette Forde.

Prosecutors say both men made threatening remarks and gestures to witnesses during the and his 16-year-old co-defendant on charges stemming from Sierra’s murder.

“While a family – and a city – reeled from Alex Sierra’s murder, a group of thugs shows up at court to make threats and gang signs,” Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said in a press release. “It’s repugnant and it only strengthens our resolve to find justice for Alex, his family, and the good and decent people of Boston.”

Prosecutors say witnesses approached police and court security on two separate occasions on Tuesday to complain of verbal and physical threats by Hunt and Maysonet, both of whom are suspected gang-members. On one occasion, Hunt approached a witness and said, “Someone else is going to die today,” prosecutors alleged. He and two others reportedly began repeating the phrase until police took him into custody.

A few hours later, a witness told court security that Maysonet "made eye contact...extended his right index finger, and drew it from ear to ear across his neck,” Conley’s office said. Maysonet also allegedly made gang signs with his hands.

Maysonet was ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device and given a curfew of 8 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. He is also forbidden to go anywhere except his place of employment and must stay away from the Villa Victoria housing development where Sierra lived at the time of his death. His next court date is Sept. 30.

Judge Ford also revoked Hunt’s bail on a separate case in Roxbury charging him with assault and battery on a police officer. Hunt is due back in court Oct. 4.

DA: Sierra was not a gang member

Prosecutors say Sierra was killed because he answered “yes” when asked by Arias and the 16-year-old whether he lived in “the Villa.” Assistant District Attorney Amy Galatis said Tuesday that investigators believe the motive for the crime stems from a longstanding rivalry between gangs affiliated with Mission Hill and Villa Victoria, where Sierra lived.

"Alex Sierra had no criminal record, he had never been arrested, he had no gang affiliation, and neither he nor his family did anything to deserve this fate," Conley said.

Ricardo Arias, who is accused of shooting Sierra near the near Tremont and West Brookline streets, was on a one-day pass from the Department of Youth Services at the time of the incident. DYS issued the pass so that Arias, who was in custody for unlawful possession of a firearm, could attend a Red Sox game.