Boston Fire Department personnel came face-to-face with a horrific situation during an intervention last Saturday. According to a report from the Boston Herald, city firefighters intervened in an unsanitary apartment. The situation became even more chaotic when firefighters were met by "apparently" men dressed as women, found a dead body and rescued four children hiding in the house.
The report of the firefighters' intervention caused a stir at Boston City Hall. Members of the government team were appalled by the situation discovered by the Boston Fire Department. Michael Flaherty, a city councilman, called the situation "sickening."
The apartment from hell
According to the fire department's report, a department crew responded last Saturday to an emergency call for a cardiac arrest. The officers gained access to a home on Old Colony Avenue in the Mary Ellen McCormack complex that is owned by the city.
Upon accessing the apartment, firefighters describe a home "in extremely unsanitary conditions" with six adults inside, apparently male and dressed as women. The apartment was filled with sex toys, alcohol and drugs. On the floor, firefighters found a dead body among the sex toys. According to the report, the cause of death was an overdose.
The fire department was even more shocked when they located four minors hiding in a room in the back of the house. The minors range in age from 5-10 years old. The man hiding them was wearing a wig and, according to firefighters, identified himself as the father of the four.
"All adults were uncooperative and did not provide helpful information. All adults present denied having children in the apartment," the department added in the report. Members of the Boston Police Department were on the scene shortly thereafter.
A police spokesman told the media that a police investigation is underway. Authorities have not yet reported whether they have arrested any of the six adult males in the home. The Suffolk District Attorney's spokesman said his office is monitoring this case.
The children passed into the state’s hands
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, appeared before the media Wednesday to announce that the four minors were released to the state Department of Children and Families (DCF). According to the governor, they have since been in a state juvenile facility. Haley called the situation "absolutely heartbreaking."
"We will do everything we can to provide them with support. The matter is obviously under investigation," Healey said in a press conference. "I will do, and our Administration will do, everything we can to lend support with any investigation," the Democratic governor added from the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
The safety of children in our @BHA_Boston is a responsibility I take as seriously as the safety of my own children. I look forward to the Hearing Order we filed regarding safety protocols & procedures in BHA Housing to ensure the safety & wellbeing of our truly most vulnerable.… pic.twitter.com/1qiERBvrJb
— Erin Murphy (@ErinforBoston) June 20, 2023
Chaos in a public apartment
City Councilor Erin Murphy filed a hearing order with the full Boston City Council for the local government to explain how the situation discovered Saturday by the Fire Department could have occurred. The residential complex in which the Department's personnel intervened is owned by the city.
According to Councilwoman Erin Murphy, the City Council needs a report from the Housing Authority (BHA) on public housing inspections. The councilwoman wants to know why the Housing Authority did not have prior knowledge of the state of that apartment, apparently converted into a hub for drugs and sexual activity, in which four minors were in a clear situation of serious vulnerability.
In response to questions from the Boston Herald, the BHA assured in a statement that it never received any complaints or warnings regarding that particular housing block. "The BHA is working closely with the Boston Police Department. ... The BHA did not receive any complaints about activity in this unit prior to the incident, but we care deeply about the safety of all our residents and are actively working with the agencies involved to take all appropriate follow-up actions."
