Crime

Ibraim Matos was held without bail in connection with the crash that killed Mabinty Janneh.

By Abby Patkin

June 22, 2026 | 3:40 PM

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A carjacking suspect who allegedly struck and killed a woman on a Mattapan sidewalk Saturday has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation after he pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges.

Ibraim Matos, 37, was arraigned Monday in the Boston Municipal Court’s Dorchester Division as prosecutors laid out the chaotic chain of events that allegedly led to Matos jumping a curb and ramming the stolen car into Mabinty Janneh, a 32-year-old Dorchester woman. 

Matos was held without bail and ordered to undergo an evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. His attorney was not immediately available for comment. 

Authorities say Matos, a Hyde Park resident with a lengthy criminal record, was driving his own car near Blue Hill Avenue and Woodhaven Street Saturday afternoon when he crashed and abandoned the damaged vehicle. Matos then fled to a nearby car wash, where he allegedly pulled a woman out of her car, got behind the wheel, and began driving the wrong way down Blue Hill Avenue toward Mattapan Square. 

According to Boston police, he sped down the sidewalk along Blue Hill Avenue, hitting Janneh and crashing into another vehicle. Matos allegedly fled once more, finally coming to a stop after he struck an MBTA bus.

Community members “forcibly removed” Matos from the vehicle and restrained him until officers arrived at the scene, police said.

Speaking during Monday’s arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight said Janneh had just gotten off a bus on her way to a nearby bank when she saw Matos driving down the sidewalk, according to The Boston Globe. 

Janneh was dragged “several hundred feet” as Matos continued driving “until her lifeless body was ultimately dislodged,” Knight reportedly alleged. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Speaking to reporters following the hearing, Janneh’s cousin thanked Mattapan community members for restraining Matos and “preventing more loss of life,” the Globe reported. 

“We are still saddened, shocked, and disturbed about this event and the loss of our loved one,” he added.

Matos has been charged with murder, carjacking, leaving the scene of personal injury, leaving the scene of personal injury and death, and motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation. A second man, 21-year-old Braintree resident Robert Monestime, is also facing charges after he allegedly ran through the taped-off crime scene and filmed video while laughing. It was not immediately clear whether Monestime had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Matos is due back in court July 10. According to the Globe, a court-appointed psychologist who testified Monday said Matos reported suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, also raising the possibility of schizophrenia. 

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden called Saturday’s incident “an instant nightmare in one of the busiest areas of our city.”

“It’s impossible to overstate the peril posed by this man’s actions when so many people were out and about enjoying a beautiful summer Saturday,” he added. “We will do everything possible to secure justice for Mabinty ‘Binty’ Janneh, for all those who loved her, and for the entire Mattapan community.”