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Committal hearing continues for Boston woman accused of assaulting EMT

The patient is accused of being agitated and pepper spraying EMT Elaina McAlister before stabbing her seven times in 2019

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Julie Tejeda appeared virtually Wednesday morning in Suffolk Superior Court from the correctional unit of Shattuck Hospital, where she has been involuntarily committed and held without bail.

Photo/Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald

By Flint McColgan
Boston Herald

BOSTON — A local union representing Boston emergency medical services personnel will have to wait a little longer to learn the fate of a woman accused of nearly killing one of their own.

Julie Tejeda, of East Boston, was involuntarily committed to a correctional unit of a local hospital after being found incompetent to stand trial for assault to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and assault and battery on a public employee for allegedly attacking EMT Elaina McAlister — and pepper spraying EMT Robert Lord — in the back of an ambulance in 2019.

Tejeda appeared virtually Wednesday morning in Suffolk Superior Court from the correctional unit of Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, where she has been involuntarily committed and held without bail. Prosecutors were considering releasing her from involuntary commitment, but the hearing was continued until April 3.

“Ms. Tejeda poses a substantial risk to every resident of the Commonwealth and we implore that the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office move to have her remanded to involuntary committal if she is unable to stand trial for her premeditated attempt to murder our beloved coworker,” Matthew Anderson, president of the Boston Emergency Medical Services division of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association union, said in the statement.

“EMT McAlister nearly lost her life during this senseless act of violence, her children almost lost their mother, and a career was cut short. Justice has not been served,” he continued.

On July 10, 2019, the EMTs picked up Tejeda in East Boston for a wellness evaluation. Prosecutors said at the time that, at around 4 p.m., Tejeda became agitated and sprayed McAlister, who was in the back with her, in the face before subsequently stabbing her seven times — a move that required emergency surgery and caused her “ongoing discomfort and difficulty walking,” according to the prosecutor’s statement of the case.

McAlister cried out for help and Lord, who was driving, pulled over near Boston Municipal Court — where Tejeda would the next day make an initial appearance on the charges and be ordered for a psych evaluation, according to previous Herald reporting — and attempted to help but was also allegedly sprayed down.

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