Two charged in Harvard Medical School explosion conspiracy

BOSTON (WWLP) – Two suspects have been charged in connection with an explosion on Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) campus last weekend.

Charging documents state that on November 1st at approximately 2:23 a.m., two suspects were captured on surveillance cameras on Huntington Avenue and Longwood Avenue in Boston walking towards the HMS campus. The suspects, wearing face coverings and dark clothing, were captured allegedly lighting Roman candle fireworks.

The suspects then allegedly climbed over a chain-link fence into a construction area surrounding the Goldenson Building before scaling scaffolding beside the building to access the roof. Campus police received a fire alarm alert at approximately 2:45 a.m. from an explosion on the Goldenson Building’s fourth floor, which houses a research laboratory within the school’s Department of Neurobiology.

The explosive–believed to have been a large, commercial firework– was determined by investigators to have been detonated within a wooden locker in the research laboratory. Security footage allegedly captured the suspects visiting the fifth floor of the building between 2:45 and 2:50 a.m. before they left through a first-floor emergency door, escaping in the opposite direction.

One of the suspects, identified as 20-year-old Dominick Frank Cardoza of Bourne, was allegedly captured by surveillance sitting on a bench, removing his pants, and putting them in a nearby garbage bin.

Nearby surveillance at the Wentworth Institute of Technology allegedly captured the second suspect, identified as 18-year-old Logan David Patterson of Plymouth, intermittently running between buildings and trying to enter a residential campus building before being let in by a passerby.

At approximately 3:40 a.m., Patterson reportedly exited the building to meet up with Cardoza and a third individual. After allegedly trying to enter another residential building, the three suspects walked toward the Massachusetts College of Art and Design campus.

Surveillance footage captured Patterson removing his sweatpants and sweatshirt as the three suspects walked along Huntington Avenue. Witnesses stated that Patterson and Cardoza were allegedly visiting Wentworth College for Halloween social activities.

Patterson and Cardoza were arrested Tuesday morning and each charged with one count of conspiracy to damage, by means of fire or an explosive. The announcement of the arrests was made at 1 p.m. Tuesday live by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts. The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Boston.

Law enforcement continues to investigate this incident. Analysis of the explosive is also ongoing.

Beck Wehner

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