Police: Man punches cop in the head after he and his brass-knuckled pal beat up a restaurant worker downtown

Boston Police report arresting a man and a woman they say both beat up a restaurant employee getting off work early Tuesday, after which the man sucker-punched a cop.

Police say that shortly after midnight, the two attacked the restaurant worker at School and Province streets.

The victim stated that he was leaving work at a local restaurant and was making his way to a nearby MBTA Train Station when he was approached by a male and a female who asked him for a cigarette. When the victim told the two parties that he did not have any, they struck him several times with clenched fists as well as an unknown metal object before taking his phone and smashing it on the ground. As Boston EMS arrived on scene to treat the victim, officers located a female matching the given suspect description, later identified as Latia Smith, 41, of Boston. At the time of the stop, the suspect was wearing a pair of ‘brass knuckles’ on her left hand. The suspect was placed in custody without incident.

Around 12:40, as officers were waiting with the woman to see if the victim could identify her, police say:

A male later identified as Pablo Castro-Larios, 24, of Malden, suddenly snuck up on one of the officers, striking him in the head with a clenched fist before fleeing on foot. The officer gave chase and soon had the suspect in custody following a brief but violent struggle. At that time, the officer observed that this suspect matched the given description of the male party involved in the initial incident.

Smith was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawfully carrying a dangerous weapon and destruction of persona property, police say. Castro-Lairos was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, interference with a police officers, resisting arrest, unlawfully carrying a dangerous weapon and disturbing the peace, police say.