BOSTON, MA — A Lowell man has been sentenced to six months behind bars after stealing a gold chain from a man who had just been fatally struck and dragged by an MBTA trolley at North Station.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office, Christopher Polanco, 26, was convicted Monday of larceny under $1,200. He was sentenced to one year in the House of Correction, with six months to serve and the remaining six months suspended, followed by six months of probation.
The incident occurred in the early hours of May 30, 2023, when a 30-year-old man attempted to kick the side of a Green Line trolley at the Lechmere platform. Surveillance footage captured the victim losing his balance, falling onto the tracks, and being struck by a second trolley, which dragged him approximately 200 feet.
Shortly after the incident, cameras recorded Polanco on the platform picking up and pocketing an item, later identified as the victim’s gold chain necklace, which was described by family members as a family heirloom.
Polanco initially pleaded not guilty in December 2023. Three members of the victim’s family attended a court hearing in July 2023, seeking to recover the stolen item.
“This defendant’s actions injected additional sorrow into an already tragic situation,” said DA Hayden. “I hope this victim’s family can derive some solace from the jury’s verdict.”
Polanco’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
