Man charged with raping and stabbing children and women in attacks dating to 2003

Boston Police report arresting Ivan Y. Cheung, 42, on warrants charging him with four counts of aggravated rape with force, four counts of aggravated rape of a child with force and two counts of aggravated statutory rape for incidents in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Police say evidence from rape kits helped lead them to Cheung, who lists Quincy and Boston addreses and that they are looking at him as a potential suspect in additional cases.

Cheung, arrested Monday afternoon, was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports. According to the DA's office:

[Assistant DA Ian] Polumbaum said Cheung in 2003 picked up a 13-year-old in Chinatown, drove her to a different location, then raped her at knifepoint and stabbed her in the shoulder. About a week later, Cheung picked up a 14-year-old in the Charles Circle area, drove to another location, and raped and stabbed her, Polumbaum said.

In 2005, Polumbaum said Cheung picked up a 23-year-old in the Park Plaza area, held a knife to her throat, then raped her and stabbed her numerous times. In 2006, Cheung picked up an 18-year-old in the North End, held a knife to her throat and raped her, Polumbaum said.

Investigators collected DNA evidence from each of the adult rapes, Polumbaum said.

In late June 2022, Boston police detectives had Cheung under surveillance and saw him smoking a cigarette in the South Bay Mall area. The detectives obtained Cheung’s discarded cigarette, which yielded DNA evidence linking Cheung to the two adult cases. The similarity in the crimes, and the description of the car used, provided a “common thread” to the rape cases involving the juvenile victims, Polumbaum said.

Innocent, etc.