Man Held After Near-fatal Assault at Back Bay T Station

A man is being held in jail after allegedly beating another man within an inch of his life at the Back Bay T station Monday.

Anthony Burgos, 46, of no known address, is charged with assault with intent to murder, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. He was arraigned Tuesday and held on $50,000 bail, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MBTA Transit Police responded to the commuter rail platform at Back Bay station at approximately 6:30 a.m. Monday for what was initially reported as an individual who had fallen and struck his head. The victim, a 39-year-old man, was found breathing but unresponsive. He was taken to Tufts Medical Center with life-threatening injuries requiring surgery. Those injuries proved serious enough that Boston Police Homicide detectives were called to investigate alongside Transit Police.

Officers spoke with the victim’s companion, who was located at the station near the victim and later identified as Burgos. He reportedly said the victim was assaulted and knocked unconscious by another individual on the prior evening and that he called for medical assistance when the victim had still not awoken that morning, prosecutors said. He was not taken in to custody at that time.

Public safety cameras at the station showed the victim and another man enter the station on Sunday evening. Shortly before 9 p.m., the camera captured the man push the victim off a bench, punch him in the head, and repeatedly kick the victim in the head and chest. Officers identified the man in the images as Burgos.

“The presence and quality of MBTA public safety cameras were critical in building this case,” Conley said.

Officers found Burgos at Boston Municipal Court, where he was scheduled to appear for a court date related to an open July case in which he allegedly robbed and struck a 52-year-old man at a Back Bay ATM.

At the time of his arrest Monday, Burgos was wearing the same pants and shoes that the assailant can be seen wearing in surveillance images capturing the near-fatal assault the night before, prosecutors said.

Burgos is scheduled to return to court Nov. 3.