Alleged gang member charged with stalking Revere woman

REVERE – An alleged member of the Latin Kings gang was held without bail on felony assault and stalking charges after he telephoned a woman 42 times and broke into her Gore Road home Tuesday even though she had a restraining order against him, police said.Edgardo Ortiz, 23, homeless, was arrested at about 5 a.m. Tuesday and charged with three counts of stalking, two counts of felony armed assault to commit burglary, four counts of violating a restraining order, three counts of malicious destruction of property, violating the city’s knife ordinance, threatening to commit a crime, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.”It’s no exaggeration to call this guy a menace,” said Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley. “He’s a bad actor with an extensive criminal record.”Police responded to Ortiz’ ex-girlfriend’s 92 Gore Road home shortly after 4 a.m. after Ortiz allegedly punched and kicked her door to get inside, police said.”It appears in a very short period of time he phoned her 42 times,” Revere Police Capt. Michael Murphy said. “One time she did answer and he threatened to shoot up her house.”After police arrived, Ortiz had apparently fled and police couldn’t find him.About one hour later, Ortiz allegedly returned to the home and shattered a pane of glass on the door and tried to break in.Police arrived again and stood by the victim while several officers canvassed the area.At one point during the search, Ortiz called the victim and asked if the police were enjoying looking for him, according to Murphy.”He said, ‘Are those cops having fun trying to catch me?'” Murphy said.Ortiz was arrested in a nearby backyard a short time later.Among the items found on Ortiz were a cell phone and a large knife, police said.Police brought Ortiz to the police station, where he was given the right to make one phone call. He used the opportunity to call the victim and was slapped with another charge of violating a restraining order when police found out, police said.Police also said that when he was asked to sign a booking sheet, he wrote the Latin Kings gang symbol where his signature was supposed to be.According to Wark, a Chelsea District Court judge ordered Ortiz essentially held without bail until a Sept. 26 dangerousness hearing. Ortiz was ordered held on $250,000 cash bail for Tuesday’s incident, but had his bail revoked on two other criminal cases pending for drug and assault charges.