Suspect In 11 Waltham Attacks On Men Held Without Bail

The suspect in a series of attacks on men in a Boston suburb late last year was ordered held without bail Wednesday, at least until a hearing to determine whether he is a danger to the community.

Clauvens Janvier, 24, faces 24 charges, mostly related to 11 unprovoked assaults in the city of Waltham last November that sent several victims to the hospital with head and facial injuries. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Another hearing was scheduled for April 1.

Janvier, a Waltham resident, was allowed to stay out of view during the remote hearing at the request of his attorney, who cited witness identification issues.

“Based on my preliminary review of the allegations in the case, it is my belief that if Mr. Janvier were to be photographed, that could potentially lead to more suggestive identifications in the case,” Mark Wester said.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Dunigan did not shed any new light on the motivation for the attacks, in which the victims, alone and on foot, were ambushed after dark and struck with a blunt object. They were not robbed, and no connection has been established between the suspect and the victims, who were of varying ages and ethnic backgrounds.

Janvier has been in custody since Dec. 11, when he was charged in a Nov. 11 assault on an 18-year-old man in a parking garage.

After a law enforcement review of cellphone records and surveillance video, as well as several searches and interviews with victims and witnesses, Janvier was charged in the other 10 attacks.