Cartagena Held on $50,000 Bail for Alleged Boston Carjacking

Following a Friday appearance in Boston Municipal Court, Woburn resident Joel Cartagena was ordered held on $50,000 bail related to an alleged Thursday carjacking.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said Cartagena violated the terms of his bail on a previous larceny case for theft over $250.

Cartagena was arraigned on a laundry list of charges during his Friday appearance. They include carjacking, kidnapping, assault and battery, leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury, leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and receiving stolen property, according to Conley.

Police said they were called to West Dedham Street for a report of a crash around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. As police were responding, dispatch informed officers of a foot pursuit involving Cartagena, civilian witnesses and an officer working a paid detail.

One witness teamed up with the detail officer to catch and restrain Cartagena, Conley said.

Police spoke to the alleged victim, a 29-year-old woman from the South End of Boston, who said she was in her car on Waltham Street when Cartagena allegedly opened the driver's side door, grabbed her hair and pushed her into the passenger seat. The Woburn resident then allegedly struck a vehicle, drove away, and struck another before stopping the vehicle on West Dedham Street.

Investigators are looking into Cartagena for possible involvement in another robbery as police said they found two credit cards belonging to a man who was robbed in Jamaica Plain while searching Cartagena.

Attorney Joseph Griffin is representing Cartagena, who is next scheduled to appear in court on February 11.