Somerville man charged with attacking girl in Museum of Science bathroom

The 24-year-old suspect was allegedly hiding inside a stall.

A Somerville man is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Friday after he allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old girl from behind in a bathroom at the Museum of Science on Sunday, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

On Wednesday, Yandri Hernandez, 24, was charged with kidnapping of a child, strangulation or suffocation, and assault and battery, the DA’s office said.

At about 12:41 p.m. on Sunday, Massachusetts State Police responded to the Museum of Science for an assault in a bathroom.

There, the teenager told troopers that she was at the Museum of Science with her friend when she entered a bathroom on the first level as her friend waited outside. When she left the bathroom stall to wash her hands, she said she “felt a hand come around her face and cover her mouth.”

Initially, the teen thought it was her friend but then saw a man, later identified as Hernandez, behind her.

She told police that Hernandez did not speak but tried to restrain her. She screamed and quickly ran out of the bathroom.

Hernandez walked out of the bathroom after her and fled the scene, according to authorities.

A witness in the bathroom told troopers that she noticed the first and last stalls occupied. When she entered her stall, she said she saw black-and-white sneakers in an adjoining stall that appeared “abnormal in size for a female.”

“The witness heard one occupant exit the stall followed by the other occupant,” the DA’s office said. “The witness then heard muffled screaming and some sort of physical altercation. Both parties were gone when the witness exited the stall.”

According to authorities, video footage shows Hernandez entering the museum at 10:58 a.m. wearing all-black clothing with black-and-white sneakers. The footage reportedly shows Hernandez sitting in a lobby near the bathroom for about one hour before entering.

State Police investigators disseminated images of the man on video to local police departments, and on Monday, State Police received a call from Cambridge police, who had identified Hernandez from a distinct tattoo on his left forearm.

Hernandez was spotted in Somerville the following day and placed into custody by State Police.

“This is a terrifying incident for anyone, particularly for a teenager simply enjoying an outing with a friend at a popular destination,” Hayden said in a statement. “This young woman’s description of her attacker, along with top-notch identification work based on the images disseminated by investigators, led to the defendant being spotted and arrested just days after the incident.”

Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.