Police: Homeless Man Stole Beacon From Boston Bridge

BOSTON — Police have charged a homeless man with stealing an aircraft warning beacon from atop Boston’s distinctive Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge.

Authorities allege that early last month, 34-year-old Clifford Beckford Jr. broke through a locked door, climbed a ladder to the top of one of the bridge’s 275-foot towers, and stole the 3-foot tall, 60-pound red light.

The light was recovered from the basement of a Charlestown bar. A bar manager says an employee found it outside in the snow and brought it in.

Beckford was arraigned Wednesday on a number of charges including breaking and entering. He was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

The Joint Terrorism Task Force was part of the investigation until it was determined the theft was not terrorism related.

Allison Leslie is a University of South Florida graduate with a bachelors degree in Mass Communications. She joined Genesis in 2016. With a passion for sports, Allison has interned with 620 WDAE, Pewter Report, Trifecta Team: St. Petersburg Bowl, Bullscast, and many other publications. Being a native to the Bay Area, she has followed and supported Tampa Bay teams her whole life.