Medford Man Student Charged with Indecent Assault in Arlington

By John Waller

A 21-year-old Medford man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in connection with an indecent assault Tuesday in Arlington.

Patrick Barry, previously a student at Northeastern University, is being charged with indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, and additional charges, as well as probation violations, may follow, according to a Thursday release from Arlington police.

Last summer, Barry was charged with attacking two women in separate incidents in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood. Barry allegedly had a knife in those attacks.

On Tuesday afternoon, Barry allegedly came up behind a 14-year-old student, who was walking home from school, near Summer and Mill streets in Arlington and touched the student inappropriately, according to police.

That evening, the victim gave Ian Spencer, a sketch artist from the Lincoln Police Department, a description of the suspect, and, on Wednesday morning, Joseph Jackson Jr., the chief probation officer for Massachusetts, called Arlington police after recognizing Barry from the sketch.

Arlington police inspectors then placed Barry at the scene after reviewing data from the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, as Barry wears a GPS device as one of the conditions of his probation.

Arlington police, with assistance from Medford police, arrested Barry at his Medford home Wednesday afternoon. Barry is expected to be arraigned Friday in Cambridge District Court in Medford. He is being held at Arlington’s Community Safety Building, police said.

Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan thanked members of his department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau, Medford police, the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, Spencer and Jackson for their help in making a quick arrest in the case.

 “This is a fine example of teamwork leading to an arrest and some closure for our community,” Ryan said in a statement.  “A dangerous offender is off the streets today. The people of Arlington will not tolerate attacks on children, and the Arlington Police Department will continue to be extremely aggressive in pursuing anyone who thinks they can get away with assaulting a child.”

The incident remains under investigation. Arlington police are working with the office of Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call Arlington police at 781-643-1212.

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