Editor’s note: This article contains a description of a sexual assault.
A Quincy man was sentenced to prison after he plead guilty to 10 charges in connection with multiple “nightmarish” attacks in Boston.
Amos F. Sykes 36, pleaded guilty on Monday in Suffolk Superior Court to 10 charges, including two counts of aggravated rape and two counts of kidnapping, according to the Boston Globe.
On Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, he grabbed a woman walking through an alley between Shawmut Avenue and Washington Street and threatened to kill her with a knife, court records state, according to the Boston Globe.
“Don’t scream, don’t make a sound, don’t try to get anyone’s attention or I’ll put this knife in your [expletive] throat,’’ Sykes said, according to prosecutors.
The Boston Globe reported that he then dragged the woman to a parking lot. She was eventually able to escape.
At around 8:30 p.m., officials said he attacked another woman on Appleton Street, the Globe reported. Officials said he raped the woman twice and only stopped because another person threatened to call the police.
About a hour later, a woman was walking down Columbus Avenue when a man, later identified as Sykes, grabbed her from behind. He tackled her to the ground, started punching her in the head and attempted to remove her clothes, Boston police reported.
She began screaming for help, police said.
Several people heard the woman. Sam Holder told WCVB he ran from his sixth-floor apartment to help. Police said Holder was fighting Sykes when they arrived. But he refused to call himself a hero.
“I’m not a hero. I’m not a hero at all,” Holder told the news outlet. “I just did what any man should do.”
Sykes attempted to run from police but was immediately arrested, police said.
“This was a nightmarish attack that left the victim bloodied and bruised, and would likely have resulted in an even worse outcome if not for the extraordinarily brave intervention of a Good Samaritan,” Hayden said. “I thank Boston Police for their quick response and arrest and I am especially grateful for this Good Samaritan’s courageous action.”
Sykes was sentenced to 12 to 16 years in state prison, the Globe reported.
If you are a victim of sexual assault, you are not alone.
Rape Crisis Centers in Massachusetts offer free, confidential services for adolescent and adult survivors as well as their loved ones.
- Crisis centers operate a 24/7 toll-free hotline for phone counseling, questions and referrals. For a full list of regional crisis centers, click here.
- SafeLink offers a 24/7 toll-free hotline:
- (877) 785-2020
- (877) 521-2601 (TTY)
