Daily Archives: May 24, 2011

DA: East Boston Teen Admits Strangling, Burning Man

Published May 24, 2011

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UPDATE 4:50: According to a statement by the Suffolk County DA’s office, Flores turned himself in early this morning. To police, he admitted bounding, strangling and burning the victim.

Flores allegedly told police that he had known the victim for “many years.” The DA still has not released the victim’s name.

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UPDATE 2:25: Flores was arraigned and ordered held without bail, according to the Suffolk County DA’s office.

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A 17-year-old East Boston teen is expected to be arraigned on a murder charge today in connection with a fire in East Boston, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Boston Police arrested Marco Tulio Flores this morning.

The Boston Fire Department responded to a fire around 8 a.m. yesterday and first tweeted that the one-alarm fire was under control. Then, they reported that there was a dead body at the scene. The victim, an adult male found inside a fire-engulfed basement, is 11th murder victim in Boston this year.

A spokesman for the Suffolk County DA says the office is withholding the name of the victim, but the Globe reports that the man is Jaime Galdamez, a 28-year-old El Salvadorian immigrant who had lived quietly in Boston for almost 10 years.

Living in an illegal basement apartment, working in a downtown restaurant, and sending money back home, Galdamez eked out an existence for nearly a decade, until his life was cut short yesterday.

Galdamez was found in a bed in his basement apartment, according to the Globe. It is unclear if he was dead before the fire was started. Officials plan an autopsy.

We’ll continue to update the story as more details emerge.

Tuesday Morning: DiMasi Trial Brings Pols To Court

Published May 24, 2011

The parade of state officials continues today in the federal corruption trial of former Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi. The former secretary of administration and finance under Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to take the stand.

The state’s former head of information technology testified that she only recommended the Cognos software in question because DiMasi pressed her to do so. WBUR’s David Boeri has an outstanding primer on the case.

Over the next three years, the Massachusetts teacher evaluation system will change significantly. The most controversial element requires using student test scores to rate teachers. WBUR’s Monica Brady-Myerov reports on the system as part of WBUR’s Making An A+ Teacher series.

In Ireland to “find the apostrophe we lost somewhere along the way,” President Obama shared a pint of Guinness with pub-goers in Moneygall, Ireland, where his great-great-great grandfather lived. As you might imagine, many Bostonians approved.

With gas prices high, the City of Boston is making just a bit easier to avoid the pain at the pump. If you’re one of the few who has switched to driving a rechargeable electric car, you can park in one of three electric vehicle parking spots unveiled outside Boston City Hall yesterday.

Some of your favorite gadgets originate right here in Massachusetts. As the Globe says, “Massachusetts doesn’t make the iPhone. But this is where chips are made that make it ring.”

In what has become a familiar storyline, Bruins goalie Tim Thomas led the team to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. The Bruins are just one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals.

What we’re following: We’ll continue to report on developments in the DiMasi trial, the fishy fire in East Boston and the fifth-grade bullying in Bridgewater that was caught on tape.