Boston Man Tried To Put Chemical-Laced Handkerchief On Boy's Mouth In "Bizarre" Assault, D.A. Alleges

CBS Boston

August 5, 2025

A 69-year-old Boston man is accused of trying to place a chemical-laced handkerchief over the mouth of a 14-year-old boy in what prosecutors are calling a "bizarre" assault.

The incident happened in Roxbury at the corner of Dudley and Washington streets on July 28, shortly after noon. Willie Cowart, of Dorchester, was arrested and charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (chemical handkerchief), the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said. Cowart pleaded not guilty to the charge in court last Wednesday.

According to prosecutors, the boy told police he was waiting for a ride on a street corner "when an older man wearing a Hawaiian shirt approached, poured an unknown liquid on a red handkerchief, and tried to put the handkerchief over his mouth."

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