By Engelbertus Wendratama

Several Savin Hill residents dismissed a brazen daylight stabbing near the Savin Hill T station Monday, saying the attack was not a random crime and would not affect the neighborhood’s reputation.

“It was a tragedy, but I think it doesn’t represent a safety issue in the neighborhood,” said Andrea Rossi, who saw the victim when she collapsed in front of Savin Scoop, a local ice cream shop. “She fell on her face and blood on her back. It was shocking. I could not work for the rest of that day.”

The attack took place on Monday afternoon when a 21-year-old mother was stabbed multiple times by a teenage girl assisted by her 19-year-old boyfriend, the victim’s ex-boyfriend. The victim, Angeleek Barros, was taken to the hospital in a serious but stable condition. The 17-year-old attacker, Samia Jones, was arrested shortly after the attack. On Thursday, police arrested Daquan Sparks, the boyfriend, in Quincy.

Ross works part-time at At Home Real Estate and Savin Scoop, adjoining businesses. Her views were shared by others who work in the neighborhood.
Jennifer Merritt, a worker at Kennedy Cleaners, said, “It’s horrible, but it’s not a random crime. Savin Hill, particularly this area, is a nice place. I always consider Savin Hill as one of the safest neighborhoods in Dorchester. My friends from outside Savin Hill also see that.”

Maria Fernanda who works as a janitor at the T station said, “It really saddens me, they attacked the girl in front of her baby boy. But residents here are good people. I think it’s still safe.”

Some residents who use the T station on daily basis, like Kevin McKenzie and James Santiago, said they were not aware of the assault. “I didn’t know about that. But I think it’s a pretty safe area. I read that the crime rate is decreasing,” McKenzie said. Santiago didn’t know about the incident, but he acknowledged that crime is an issue in Dorchester. “Crimes happen here, but mostly I think drug-related,” Santiago said.

According to the BPD, the number of crimes in Dorchester during the last three months has decreased compared to the same period last year. Between January and April this year, there were 550 cases in total, while the record shows there were 617 cases in the same period last year.