By Jim Clark

On Sunday, July 29, police officers were notified that a larceny was in progress and an employee was being assaulted at True Blue Cleaners on Broadway.

Upon arrival, the officers reportedly observed 5 people inside, of which one was pointed out as the assailant by a witness to the incident.

The officers approached the alleged assailant, later identified as Nedjedla Nherisson, of Cambridge, and asked her what had happened.

According to reports, Nherisson appeared to be out of breath, sweaty, and her shirt was torn. She reportedly stated in an excited tone that “they owed me money, the machine took my money.”

The officers noted that the laundromat employee was red in the facial and neck area, showed a little blood on her left earlobe, and was crying and shaking. She stated that “that woman”– while pointing to Nherisson – attacked her and tried to pull the cash register out with both hands. She said she pushed Nherisson out of the way, but she fought back and shoved the employee into a short wall where she struck her head and landed on the floor, tearing out her ear ring in the process.

Nherisson reportedly went further behind the register area, finding the employee’s pocketbook and grabbed it, at which time the employee grabbed the pocketbook back and Nherisson struck her, pulling the pocketbook out of her hands.

Nherisson then reportedly went inside the pocketbook and pulled the employee’s wallet out, going through it looking for money, but there was no money inside. Nherisson then walked over to where her luggage was as the police arrived.

The officers questioned several witnesses who gave them corroborating statements about the incident.

While looking for the key to the cash register, which went missing, it was located by one of the officers in Nherisson’s right front pocket.

Nherisson was transported to the Somerville Police Station and booked on charges of assault and battery and unarmed assault to rob.