Man accused of punching, trying to undress woman in violent Boston assault to face a judge

BOSTON — A man arrested in connection with a violent attack on a woman in Boston’s South End over the weekend is slated to face a judge Monday.

Amos Sykes, 35, of Quincy, is slated to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over and assault and battery with injuries.

At about 9:39 p.m. Saturday, Boston officers responded to a radio call in the area of West Canton and Appleton streets for an assault and battery in progress and a possible sexual assault, police said.

Several witnesses told police they heard the sound of a person screaming and saw the suspect, later identified as Sykes, punching a woman in the head as he sat on top of her, police said.

When officers arrived on scene, they saw one of the witnesses fighting with Sykes, in an attempt to defend the victim, police said. Sykes ran away and was immediately apprehended.

The woman told police she had been walking on Columbus Avenue when the suspect grabbed her from behind, forced her onto the ground, and began punching her in the head. The suspect also allegedly tried removing the victim’s clothing before a witness stepped in to fight off Sykes.

An ambulance took the victim to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Boston detectives along with the Boston Police Sexual Assault Unit are investigating.

Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact District D-4 Detectives at (617) 343-5619 or The Sexual Assault Unit at (617) 343-4400.

Community members wishing to assist in this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation in an anonymous manner.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group