BY JOHN DONATI
One Weare man is being held on $1 million cash bail while another, his alleged victim, remains in the hospital after a shooting onJune 19.
Thomas R. Lagerbloom, 58, of 716 Reservoir Drive, was arraigned Wednesday, June 20, in Goffstown District Court on charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and theft by unauthorized taking.
He stands accused of shooting Jeff “J.T.” Hebbeln, 47, of 30 Merrill Road in Weare, in the chest with .32 caliber handgun, according to Goffstown District Court records.
Each of the three charges carries penalties of 7-1/2 to 15 years in prison and up to a $4,000 fine.
Lagerbloom is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail, Valley Street, Manchester, pending a July 3 probable cause hearing scheduled at Goffstown District Court.
According to the court records, the court determined the defendant’s release “will endanger the safety of the defendant or of another person in the community,” resulting in the high bail conditions.
A supporting affidavit was filed the day of the arraignment by Lt. Mark Bodanza of the Weare Police Department.
On June 6 at 1:37 p.m., Weare officers were sent to the 30 Merrill Road residence following the report of a shooting. Bonnie Raymond, 48, of the same address, made the 911 call, and is Hebbeln’s fiance, records show.
Sgt. James Carney and officer Jonathan Quigley, arriving first on scene, approached the residence with weapons drawn. They saw three men on the ground – Hebbeln, Lagerbloom and another man, Jeff Kablik, 37, also of Weare, in front of a barn adjacent to the residence.
According to the records, Randy Blodgett, an eyewitness to the shooting, was interviewed by Weare police officer Robert Harvey.
Harvey told police Lagerbloom pulled up in a 1989 gray Volvo wagon. Blodgett said Lagerbloom stated, “I am going to shoot that guy,” and drew the handgun from the small of his back. Blodgett warned it wasn’t worth it, but watched as Lagerbloom shot Hebbeln.
Hebbeln then grabbed Lagerbloom, and the two began to struggle. When Kablik intervened, Blodgett went for cover, fearing that he too would be shot, records show.
The arriving officers observed Kablik applying pressure to Hebbeln’s bleeding chest, while simultaneously restraining Lagerbloom, also on the ground.
They were separated, and Hebbeln said “Tom” (Lagerbloom) shot him. The handgun was taken by Weare Police Detective Louis Chatel, after he arrived on scene. He joined Quigley in administering emergency first aid to Hebbeln, records show.
Carney handcuffed Lagerbloom and began to ask questions, noticing a large fresh blood stain on him.
Records show that Lagerbloom “spontaneously” told the sergeant he had shot Hebbeln, and that it was a “long story.”
Hebbeln was transported to Concord Hospital. Hospital staff determined after testing that Hebbeln had suffered a single gunshot wound to the left side of his chest, exiting out the back side of his right shoulder, records show.
Concord Hospital did not confirm Hebbeln was still being hospitalized.
It was later learned during an interview by Weare Police officer Robert Peterson that Lagerbloom allegedly stole the handgun from his father, Philip Lagerbloom of 716 Reservoir Road, who reported the gun as missing and that his son did not have permission to take it, records show.
The incident stemmed from an altercation between the two men days earlier, on June 18. Mark Yphatis, another witness in the case, said Lagerbloom was employed to build a shed on the property owned by landlord, Robert Phelps. Phelps had given Lagerbloom permission to work and stay in a trailer on the property.
Phelps would later ask Hebbeln to lock the trailer, denying Lagerbloom access, because he was upset with him.
An altercation between Hebbeln and Lagerbloom ensued when he returned to retrieve tools. Hebbeln, responsible for the tools on the job site, denied his request, resulting in a shoving match, according to the court records.
The next day, June 19, Kablik told Hebbeln that Lagerbloom had left a threatening message on Yphatis’s answering machine, but Hebbeln is said to have dismissed it as “foolish talk due to excessive alcohol consumption,” records show.
The answering machine was turned over to police. Officer Harvey listed Lagerbloom’s message as saying, in part, “Hey Mark, Tom here,” he continued, “but if I have to deal with that son-of-a-*** tomorrow I’m going to kill him. Enough said. Take care. Bye.”
The shooting occurred the following day.
Weare Police Chief Gregory Begin confirmed that the incident is under investigation, and that information would be released in accordance with New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office protocols.
Lagerbloom is also currently out on personal recognizance stemming from an April 19 arrest in Goffstown for driving while intoxicated.