Following a brutal baseball bat attack on Congress Avenue in Chelsea on the evening of Feb. 5, an Everett man has succumbed to his injuries. The suspected perpetrator was taken into custody in Ohio on Feb. 15 and faces murder charges.
Melvin Cortes, 32, of Everett, sustained life-threatening injuries when he was struck with a baseball bat, according to authorities. He died from those injuries on Feb. 11.
Chelsea Police and State Troopers working with Conley’s office initiated an investigation that led them to identify Chelsea resident Kamaya Farikafi, 23, as the alleged assailant. An arrest warrant was obtained in the days following the attack.
Once Cortes’ death elevated the charges to murder, the State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section worked to locate Farikafi. With assistance from US Marshals based in Cincinnati, he was apprehended in Ohio yesterday. He is currently detained at the Hamilton County Jail pending extradition back to Massachusetts to face the murder charges.
The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Chelsea Police at 617-466-4880 or the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit at 617-727-8817.