Lawyers for the three Lynn men charged with a home invasion on Christmas Day on Saratoga Street in East Boston are claiming the whole thing was a misunderstanding and one of the defendants was simply trying to retrieve a cell phone that he had left behind at the residence.
Francisco Ramirez, 33, Jose Ventura, 23; and Jeremy Ventura, 20; all of Lynn were arrested 6:30 a.m. on Christmas morning at 1115 Saratoga Street after police received a call for a break-in in progress at the home.
When police arrived, officers observed that the front door leading to the common area had been forced in. Officers hurried into the residence and ascended the stairs. As they approached the second floor landing, they observed three males, one holding a bat and another wielding a 4-inch folding knife.
Officers drew their department-issued firearms and gave commands for the suspects to drop the weapons and show their hands. The suspects immediately dropped the weapons, however, one of the males attempted to duck out of sight behind a corner on the third floor.
After a brief struggle, officers were able to take all three suspects into custody. Officers spoke with the victims who stated they had heard banging on the first-floor door and retreated the second floor apartment before the suspects had gained entry.
However, at their arraignment in East Boston District Court Monday, all entered not guilty pleas and the three were released on bail with Ramirez posting $7,500 and Jose and Jeremy Ventura each posting a $1,000.
They were ordered to have no contact with any of the people inside the home and to stay away from the area with Judge Catherine Byrne saying, “By stay away, I mean far. And by no contact, I mean no contact yourselves or through someone else.”
Lawyers maintain there was no home invasion. The door that was observed by police to be broken was already in that condition when the defendants arrived and that the whole incident started over a cell phone that Ramirez left at the apartment. Ramirez also allegedly got into an altercation with one of the occupants of the apartment.
The three men are due back in court Feb. 19, 2016 for a probable cause hearing.