Man accused of assaulting girl in Museum of Science has extensive criminal history, prosecutors say

BOSTON — The man accused of assaulting a teenage girl inside a bathroom at Boston’s Museum of Science last weekend has an extensive criminal history, prosecutors revealed in a dangerousness hearing on Friday.

Yandri Hernandez, 24, allegedly hid inside a bathroom on the first level of the museum before he came up behind a 15-year-old girl and placed his hands over her mouth around 12:40 p.m. last Sunday.

Hernandez was found dangerous and ordered held until February 7, 2025 after prosecutors cited a series of incidents earlier this year, including instances where he allegedly broke into cars and took drugs in public.

Hernandez’ defense team told the judge that the 24-year-old is homeless and suffers from substance abuse issues.

The DA’s office says video footage from inside the Museum of Science showed a man wearing all-black clothing and black and white sneakers enter the building shortly before 11:00 a.m. The suspect allegedly sat in the lobby near the bathroom for around an hour before entering, the DA says.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the museum said:

“The Museum of Science takes multiple steps to create a safe environment for our members and guests. We are grateful for the efforts of our own internal public safety team, combined with law enforcement officials, who were able to quickly identify the involved individual.”

Hernandez will next appear in court on November 8 for a pretrial hearing. He is charged with kidnapping of a child, strangulation or suffocation, and assault and battery.

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