A relative of Geraldo Serrano, who was killed during the robbery of a grocery store in the Uphams Corner section of Dorchester, was comforted during the arraignment of the two suspects.
(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)
Tip from teen’s mother aided search for suspects
Several informants helped arrest of two from Dorchester in slaying
A relative of Geraldo Serrano, who was killed during the robbery of a grocery store in the Uphams Corner section of Dorchester, was comforted during the arraignment of the two suspects.
(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)
Police detectives scrambling with little evidence to solve the weekend killing of an elderly grocery clerk were able to make swift arrests after receiving several key tips, including one from the mother of one of the teenage suspects, according to several law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case.
The mother, Germaine Northcross, had called police to say she believed that her 16-year-old son, Onyx White, had been involved in the robbery and killing, according to the officials, who asked to remain anonymous because of the ongoing investigation.
That information followed a crucial anonymous tip implicating the suspects that helped investigators build up enough evidence within 24 hours to charge White and Martin Freels, 17, both of Dorchester, with the shooting on Sunday of Geraldo Serrano.
The father of nine and grandfather of 28 had tried to resist the attackers by waving his cane at them, prosecutors said.
The teenagers were arraigned yesterday morning in Roxbury District Court on charges of murder, armed robbery, and gun possession. They hid behind a door while dozens of members of Serrano’s family were in the courtroom. The relatives said they were at peace with the arrests.
A plea of not guilty was entered on behalf of the teenagers.
Along with the tips, investigators were aided in breaking the case by the rare, immediate use of a grand jury.
“We couldn’t believe how fast it happened,’’ said Angel Serrano, the 42-year-old son of the grocery clerk. “They [the police] said they would do what they can, and it’s very appreciative. Our family is relieved.’’
But the arrests of two high school students in the killing of an unarmed elderly man, while he was volunteering at the Hermanos Unidos grocery store run by longtime family friends, only helped to complicate what has already been called a senseless murder.
“In one way, they got what they deserved,’’ Angel Serrano said, “but in another, from the bottom of my heart, I feel sad, because they are just teenagers.’’
Police said that White and Freels, who live near the Dudley Street grocery store, walked in just before 10:30 a.m. Sunday demanding cash. The assailants wore hoodies, their faces were covered, and at least one had a gun.
At first, the cashier at the front end of the store complied with their demands, prosecutors said. But Serrano, who had been in back stocking shelves, refused. A shot was fired into the back of the store. Serrano came forward waving his cane, and a second shot was fired.
“We believe it was the second shot that struck and killed him,’’ Assistant Suffolk District Attorney David Fredette said yesterday.
The teenagers fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police said early on that they were getting tips on the case, which led to Wednesday’s arrests. Fredette said police have recovered a weapon believed to be the one used in the shooting.
Officials said that the investigation is continuing and that they are looking at the possibility of a third suspect.
The two teenagers live just a house apart on Hartford Street in Dorchester.
Freels was living with his grandfather, White with his grandmother.
Neighbors would call them the “stoop boys,’’ because they were often seen loitering on the front steps of White’s grandmother’s home.
Both teenagers have seen trouble before, and they come from families with a history with police.
Freels, who attends Madison Park High School, was arrested in September 2006 on a breaking and entering charge. The case was dismissed in exchange for the completion of community service, according to information obtained by the Globe.
His lawyer, Steven Sack, said yesterday that he had only spoken briefly with his client, but that Freels was terrified by the charges.
“He’s a frightened kid who just turned 17 years old,’’ Sack said.
White, who attends McKinley Preparatory High School, has been arrested for being a disorderly person and for assault and battery; last year he was charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon, a knife, for pulling it on his girlfriend. He received a suspended sentence.
A spokeswoman for the state Department of Youth Services said yesterday that the agency does not release information on juveniles.
A neighbor, Joan Bulliner, said yesterday that White moved to the neighborhood a few years ago to live with his grandmother. She said the teenager had troubles with crime early on and that he never received the support he needed.
“I saw him headed for trouble, because he was left alone,’’ Bulliner said, adding that he has many siblings.
“I feel bad for Onyx because he didn’t have the support he needed. He needed the support of the system but he fell through the cracks.’’
White’s grandmother did not comment while outside the courthouse, except to say that the arrest was wearing on her family. Freels’s family could not be reached for comment. Police established crime scenes at the two homes yesterday.
The robbery shocked the merchants whose stores line Dudley Street at Uphams Corner and who have seen robberies and crimes before, but rarely one ending in the fatal shooting of one of their own.
The shooting also pained a close-knit Puerto Rican community, remembering the Serrano family as one of the originals in the area. Serrano was called a mentor to friends from Jamaica Plain to Dorchester, and many knew him as the store clerk who gave candy to neighborhood children who had no money.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.