Suspect Arrested for Alleged Rape Near Charles River

A 19-year-old female was allegedly raped near the Charles River on Monday after meeting with her alleged attacker in Harvard Square.

Joseph L. “Vocals” Brown, 22, was arrested in connection with the alleged rape and was arraigned on Tuesday in Brighton District Court. Bail was set at $50,000.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Brown met with the woman in Harvard Square. A Brighton resident, she knew the defendant because they lived near each other, according to District Attorney spokesperson Jake M. Wark.

Following their meeting, they made an impromptu decision to cross the Weeks Footbridge and watch the July 4 fireworks, Wark said.

While on the Boston side of the footbridge, Brown allegedly pushed her to the ground and raped her, the District Attorney’s office said.

She left the area on foot and called a friend, who called police, according to the District Attorney’s office. She admitted herself to Cambridge Hospital, submitted to a rape kit, and was treated for a small head injury.

When speaking with the Massachusetts State Police, Brown “allegedly acknowledged sexual activity with the young woman but gave multiple conflicting accounts of the incident,” a statement from District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said.

When contacted, his attorney Jason Chan declined to comment on the case.

Brown will return to court for a pretrial conference on July 21.

—Staff writer Leanna B. Ehrlich can be reached at lehrlich@college.harvard.edu.