Man held in lieu of $250,000 bail for Arborway home invasion and attack; DA says he took the flat-head screwdriver he used with him when he fled to Virginia

Washington Pearson, 55, of Lynn, had bail set at $250,000 today on charges related to an Oct. 24 home invasion on the Arborway in Jamaica Plain, in which he used a large flat-head screwdriver to break into a woman's home and rob, strangle and rape her, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

After the attack, Pearson fled to Norfolk, VA, where police found him and the same screwdriver - which the DA's office says he was going to try to use to commit "suicide by cop," except he was swarmed by too many officers who took him down before he could try to get them to kill him.

Pearson, who has a long criminal record, heavy on breaking and entering, was formally charged with attempted murder, home invasion, felony breaking and entering in the daytime, larceny from a building, assault with intent to rape, strangulation and armed robbery, after he was extradited from Virginia, the DA's office reports.

He returns to court on Jan. 6 for a probable cause hearing.

According to the DA's office:

Police responded to a 911 call on the Arborway in Jamaica Plain. The caller said a man had broken into her house and robbed, strangled and raped her. Police observed that the front door was open and the frame splintered, consistent with having been pried open. The victim told police her attacker was armed with a large flathead screwdriver.

Detectives canvassed the area for surveillance cameras, and secured footage showing a man matching the description provided by the victim traveling away from the crime scene. Two days after the attack, detectives recovered video from a nearby store that showed what appeared to be the same person. Photos from the video were distributed to area police departments and the news media. As a result, Pearson was identified, and an arrest warrant was issued.

Pearson was arrested in Norfolk, Virginia last week. Police recovered from Pearson a large flathead screwdriver, similar to the one described by the victim. Pearson told members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit that, prior to his apprehension, he had planned to get a gun and initiate a “suicide by cop.” He also said he had contemplated attempting the same thing with his screwdriver when he was apprehended, but was outnumbered by arresting officers.

Innocent, etc.