Man Charged in Lowell House Assault Faces New Charges From Peabody Terrace Incident

The man charged in connection with a reported assault at Lowell House and a breaking and entering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is facing two new charges from an earlier alleged assault outside Harvard-owned Peabody Terrace apartments.

Arthur O. Krogman, a 31-year-old from Dunbarton, N.H., was charged June 5 with assault and battery and attempting to commit a crime, according to court documents.

Krogman pleaded not guilty May 28 to six other charges, including kidnapping, indecent assault and battery, daytime breaking and entering, and witness intimidation — stemming from the reported May 19 assault inside Lowell House and an incident shortly after at MIT.

The new charges come from a reported assault outside Peabody Terrace roughly 30 minutes before the Lowell House incident. Krogman allegedly approached a woman near the entrance of the building, grabbed her wrist, pointed toward a nearby apartment building, and told her to “come here,” according to court documents.

The woman shook him off, but Krogman continued to stand and stare at her before she ran away, according to the documents. The victim said Krogman “did not look like he was in his right mind” and that “his eyes seemed very blank.” No injuries were reported.

The woman reported the incident to the Harvard University Police Department after HUPD sent out a campus-wide alert about a reported assault at Lowell House. She later identified Krogman as the man she encountered after an HUPD officer showed her a surveillance photo from Lowell House.

Roughly 30 minutes after the incident at Peabody Terrace, HUPD and Cambridge Police officers responded to a reported assault at Lowell House. Krogman allegedly followed a Harvard senior into a Lowell entryway and attempted to push her into her room after she unlocked the door, according to court documents.

Krogman allegedly tried to cover the student’s mouth while she yelled for help. Several people in nearby rooms entered the hallway, prompting Krogman to flee. No injuries were reported.

Roughly 15 minutes later, Krogman allegedly followed a woman into an MIT residential building, walking behind her through a door that requires an ID swipe and into an elevator. Krogman did not press a button in the elevator and did not follow the woman onto her floor, the court documents state. Krogman faces one charge of daytime breaking and entering in connection with the MIT incident.

MIT police sent an alert to affiliates roughly two hours after HUPD notified campus of the Lowell House incident. The alert included photos of Krogman and reminded affiliates not to allow unauthorized people into campus buildings.

Harvard temporarily increased safety measures at Lowell House after the incident, stationing security officers at each entrance overnight in the days that followed. Several Houses sent emails to students reminding them to be mindful of people following them into buildings. The message was echoed in an email to undergraduates by Associate Dean of Students Lauren E. Brandt ’01.

As part of its investigation, HUPD ran surveillance photos through the Department of Homeland Security’s biometric support center, which returned a photo of Krogman with a high school lacrosse team. After speaking with the team’s coach, who identified Krogman as the man in the surveillance photos, HUPD obtained a warrant for his arrest.

Krogman was arrested May 27 by Massachusetts State Police, with assistance from Wakefield Police.

Krogman remains in custody pending a July 10 dangerousness hearing and arraignment on the new charges, according to Meghan Kelly, a spokesperson for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at shawnb.18. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.