Homeless man sleeping in storage unit arrested on outstanding warrants and additional charges

A homeless man sleeping in a storage unit in Waltham was arrested last week on outstanding warrants, resisting arrest and failing to register as a sex offender.

On Aug. 12, officers responded to reports of an unwanted man at East Coast Storage at 37 River St. An employee said a client, Peter Mundowa, 38, homeless, of Waltham, was sleeping in the unit he rented. The company had notified Mundowa in person and via mail that he wasn’t allowed to do so, and had even installed cameras to document the activity.

An officer found Mundowa inside the unit sleeping on a blanket on the floor surrounded by keys, sports drink bottles, cell phones, bags of clothes and other personal items. After officers woke him up, Mundowa informed officers that he wasn’t sleeping but was “just resting.” According to the police report, he began gathering his belongings to “leave and do laundry” when an officer informed Mundowa he had three outstanding warrants and was under arrest. Mundowa replied, “No, f—k that, I’m going to do my laundry bro,” and allegedly pulled his arms away from both officers and screamed profanities as they tried to handcuff him.

Mundowa pleaded not guilty to one charge of failing to register as a sex offender, one charge of being a fugitive from justice on a court warrant and one charge of resisting arrest. He is being held on bail at Middlesex County Jail on the order of Judge Sarah Kennedy. Mondowa will face a pretrial hearing for his charges from Waltham District Court on Sept. 9. 

Additionally, Mundowa was served with a no-trespass order from East Coast Storage. He also has two outstanding warrants from Chelsea District Court, one from Cambridge District Court and another from Rhode Island.

Additional court activity

Hebert A. Ryan, 64, of Waltham, accepted a plea deal on July 1 for an assault and battery charge related to an incident in Waltham in April. 

The plea deal was an admission to sufficient facts, meaning Ryan acknowledged that if a jury trial were held, there was enough evidence for a jury to find him guilty. While this is not a guilty plea, it means the case can continue. Judge Ellen M. Caulo ordered Ryan to be on probation until Feb. 12, 2027, and pay a $50 victim or witness assessment fee.

Nancy Nadia Mali, 27, of Waltham, had a case against her dismissed on Aug. 13. The charges were related to an event that happened in April in Waltham. Mali’s case was dismissed for lack of prosecution, meaning the Commonwealth was not prepared to prosecute and decided to dismiss it.

Jose D. Ortiz Y Ortiz, 42, of Waltham, pleaded not guilty on Aug. 14 to a charge of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. The charge relates to an incident on Pine Street in Waltham. Ortiz Y Ortiz was released on personal recognizance by Kennedy and will face a pretrial hearing on Sept. 14.