MIT student held without bail for allegedly keeping guns in his dorm room
Angel De La Cruz, a student in Course 6 and a resident of Senior House, has been ordered held without bail for allegedly possessing firearms in his dorm room. De La Cruz is listed as a senior in the MIT directory, but entered MIT in the class of 2014.
Around 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 6, MIT police searched De La Cruz’s room following a report that he may have had weapons in the dorm. De La Cruz was arrested after police allegedly found a pistol, a rifle, and ammunition that he was not licensed to possess.
An MIT counselor made the report to police, The Boston Globe reported.
MIT policy prohibits weapons anywhere on campus. De La Cruz’s attorney, public defender Bruce Ferg, told The Boston Globe that De La Cruz has been suspended from MIT and barred from campus.
There is currently no evidence that any threats were made toward members of the MIT community, according to a press release from the Middlesex County district attorney’s office.
At an arraignment held Monday, Jan. 9, De La Cruz was charged with two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, two counts of possession of a large capacity firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a license, and improper storage of a firearm.
Judge Dominic Paratore also ordered that De La Cruz be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.
At that hearing, held Jan. 13, De La Cruz was ruled dangerous. He was ordered held without bail until his hearing. To keep a person detained prior to their trial, a judge must find “clear and convincing evidence” that “no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety” of the community if the individual were released. A person who is ruled dangerous may be held for up to 120 days.
At the time of writing, reporters had not learned which facts of the case led the judge to reach this conclusion.
De La Cruz will return to court on Feb. 13 for a hearing, where the prosecuting lawyer will be Assistant District Attorney Raquel Frisardi.