Windham News : Police

Two alleged bank robbers face charges after injuring officer in high-speed chase

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:56:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

A local officer injured during a rush-hour police chase on I-93 on Sept. 18 is expected to make a full recovery, according to authorities.

Sgt. Carl Wagner said officer Jason Dzierlatka suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries after he was struck by a green Dodge Avenger driven by an alleged bank robber near the weigh station just north of Exit 3. Dzierlatka had deployed stop sticks in an attempt to halt the vehicle, according to police.

While Wagner did not comment on the extent of Dzierlatka’s injuries, he said the young officer had been transported to a Boston hospital and had “a good outlook.”

“We believe he will return to work, albeit it will be a matter of months,” Wagner said.

Dzierlatka had been with the department for two years, according to authorities. It is his first job in the field of law enforcement.

Though Dzierlatka was unable to stop the fleeing vehicle, authorities later apprehended the driver, Clint E. Pickering, 24, of Epsom and passenger, Patrick McKeen, 23, of Laconia on Route 110 in Dracut, Mass., after they crashed their vehicle.

According to authorities, one of the men entered the Bank of New England at 58 Range Road in Windham at about 4:36 p.m. and handed the teller a note demanding an undisclosed amount of money. Witnesses later spotted the pair fleeing eastbound on Route 111 toward the Exit 3 onramp where authorities began a police pursuit that took them north to Londonderry, through a crossover and back south across the Massachusetts state line to Exit 46.

Though officers from multiple police departments were involved in the pursuit, Wagner said the pair was taken into custody by the Massachusetts State Police and were held as fugitives from justice at the Andover, Mass., barracks before being transferred to the Essex County Jail in Middleton, Mass.

Both men were arraigned in District Court in Lowell, Mass., on Sept. 21, according to state police. The pair are due back in Salem District Court on Sept. 29.

Pickering is facing multiple charges, including robbery, first degree assault and attempted second degree murder. McKeen has been charged with robbery, criminal theft and criminal liability of another.

Man hurt in cycle crash

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:12:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

The operator of a motorcycle sustained serious injuries after a car struck him from behind while he was attempting a left turn at Rockingham Cycles on Route 28 on Sept. 4, authorities said.

According to Police Chief Gerald Lewis, Douglas Magliozzi, 56, of Atkinson was propelled from his motorcycle and onto the pavement around 1:42 p.m., suffering wounds to his head and leg. While drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash, Lewis said the operator of the Chevrolet Malibu, Michael Schneiderat, 40, of Massachusetts did not make any effort to stop or brake before plowing into the rear of the motorcycle and driving over it.

Authorities said the motorcyclist was transported to Parkland Medical Center and flown by helicopter to a Boston hospital.

He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to police.

Schneiderat, the sole occupant of his vehicle, was uninjured in the collision. Though the accident remains under investigation, Lewis said charges will likely be forthcoming.

Route 28 was temporarily closed between Bissell Camp Road and Flat Rock Road while authorities investigated the scene.

Windham police received assistance from the Windham Fire Department and the New Hampshire State Police.

Windham boarders will have to register with town

Salem Editor — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:03:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Skaters at the Griffin Park skate park are on thin ice with town officials following years of complaints about disrespectful behavior, vulgar language and littering.

Beginning later this spring, skate park users will have to register with the town to gain access to the facility located on the edge of Griffin Park. Cheryl Haas, recreation coordinator, said the move stemmed from a lack of respect skate park users have repeatedly shown local police officers and town officials in the past.

With users now required to display registration stickers on their helmets, Haas said the town will be able to track down individuals who ignore the park’s posted rules. Depending on the number of violations, skaters can face suspension from the park – set to open in April – anywhere from a single day to the remainder of the season.

While the number of “bad apples” using the facility is relatively small, Haas said the inappropriate language, trash and disrespectful attitude from some skaters has forced officials to make one last-ditch effort to enforce more stringent regulations. The alternative would mean an end to the town’s five-year-old skate park.

“Unfortunately, some were looking to get rid of the skate park and we sat down and said let’s give this a try. If this doesn’t work, we’re not going to fight to keep it open. It’s a great facility and it gives the kids a place to go, but I get complaints after complaints about the language, (the skaters not wearing) helmets, the trash, and the police are constantly down there,” Haas said. “I’m not looking to make enemies, but the alternative was to not have a skate park.”

Under the new regulations, nonresidents will have to schedule a 20-minute meeting with recreation officials to go over the rules and violations before receiving access. Haas said the policy should deter most of those skaters who were not planning on following the rules in the first place.

“A lot of the kids will not sit through that, and those are probably the kids we don’t want,” she said. “We’ve had most problems with nonresidents and we think this will help that problem.”

Haas is still working with selectmen and the police department to make a plan to enforce the new regulations. Selectmen have authorized the use of a camera to monitor the skate park, though Haas hopes that it will eventually become self-policing, with violators being reported to the police by other skaters or members of the public.

Police Chief Gerald Lewis said he plans to meet with recreation officials soon to discuss the new regulations and the enforcement of those rules in the future. Lewis hopes the new policies will deter littering, use of vulgar language and scuffles and improve the environment inside and around Griffin Park.

“With the fact that you have adolescents and young adults congregating in one area, that in and of itself is conducive to some problems developing,” Lewis said. “I don’t want to lump them all under the same heading, because a vast majority of the kids that utilize the park are great kids and follow the rules, but it’s a certain element that violates the rules, and we try to enforce them to the betterment of everyone.”

Windham police seek bank robber

Salem Editor — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:36:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Police are searching for a man who robbed a Citizens Bank on Indian Rock Road and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The suspect, described as a white male in his mid-20s, 6 feet tall with a slim build and bright blue eyes, handed the bank teller a note demanding the money at about 9:15 a.m. Police said he did not display a weapon during the robbery.

“Only one teller knew there was a robbery going on. She was understandably shaken up,” said Windham officer Carl Wagner. “She acted according to her training.”

He described her as a “composed and good witness.”

State and local police continue to search for the suspect, described as wearing a gray Northface zippered sweatshirt with no hood, jeans and a gray knit cap with a dark stripe around the edge. He was last seen leaving Citizens Bank heading toward a McDonald’s restaurant across the street by the Interstate 93 Exit 3 northbound on-ramp. Police said the bank robber took a hard left back behind the bank and moved parallel to Route 111 West while in the woods.

Bank officials told the authorities that the money he was handed included a dye pack which should have exploded within a short distance of the bank. Police said later that day that they had located the dye pack along the northbound onramp and they believe the suspect may have the red dye on their body and clothing.

A K-9 unit with the state police tracked the robber’s trail to the former Dunkin’ Donuts building about a quarter of a mile west of the bank. Police said the suspect may have had a vehicle already parked there or he may have been given a ride, although authorities believe there was only one person involved in the robbery.

Police said they believe the suspect headed north on I-93 in an unknown vehicle.

Windham police will continue to investigate the crime along with the state police and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department. Other area police departments had also been made aware of the robbery. While the FBI office in Portsmouth was also alerted to the situation, they will not be participating in the investigation.

This is the first bank robbery in Windham in three years, Wagner said. The last one occurred at the same Citizens Bank and had recently been solved.

A little longer for Windham High School access road decision

Salem Editor — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:33:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Windham school superintendent and School Board member Michael Hatem told the town’s Board of Selectmen they need a few more weeks to come up with a viable plan for a second access road for the new high school. The Board of Selectmen held an informational meeting on the issue during their regular weekly selectmen’s meeting on Monday, Sept. 29.

Fire Chief Tom McPherson led the board and the public through a PowerPoint presentation outlining the fire codes that justify intalling the second access before the school can open in September 2009 and showing aerial photos to support his case for the road.

McPherson said he is urging the School Board to act quickly on planning the access road, as there is less than a year left before the school’s opening to get all the planning, engineering, and construction completed. Superintendent Frank Bass said in a letter to the Board of Selectmen that the School Board would like until Oct. 29 to come up with a final plan.

“Certainly the board will work its very best to come to a timely decision as quickly as they can,” Bass said. “They just wanted extra time to get it right and explore every option.”

Hatem, speaking as a citizen and not a School Board member, said the board will come to the right solution soon, but needs some time to sort out the options.

“I think we just need a little time to turn down the heat. We’re going to solve this,” Hatem said.

During a special vote at the primary election on Sept. 9, Windham voters turned down a $1.25 million bond proposal for a paved town road that would cover the unpaved portion of London Bridge Road, extending it from Route 111 to Castle Hill Road. At the vote in March, a similar proposal on the school district ballot was also voted down.

The fire and police officials in town supported that proposal because it complied with fire and safety codes and would also function as a means of accessing the western side of town more quickly, McPherson said.

“The issue with this is it was the only presentation that we saw,” said McPherson. “That was the proposal put before us, and we, as public safety officials, supported that because of reasons other than the high school.”

Selectman Charles McMahon called for the meeting, inviting the School Board, the state fire marshal, and a representative from the state’s Department of Education.

“It’s real, it’s palpable and there’s real anxiety,” McMahon said of the community’s worry over the access road issue, adding he’s gotten calls from residents asking whether they should explore other high school options for their children in case the school doesn’t open as planned.

The state fire marshal’s office and the Department of Education both sent letters to the town saying they would not attend the meeting because the access road is a town issue.

According to the National Fire Protection Association’s universal fire code, which McPherson explained during the presentation, “more than one fire department access road shall be provided when it is determined by the (authority having jurisdiction) that access by a single road could be impaired by vehicle congestion, condition of terrain, climatic conditions or other factors that could limit the access.”

The code further states that any access road should be at least 20 feet wide with a vertical clearance of no less than 13 feet 6 inches, and should be able to carry emergency vehicles and be properly maintained.

During the presentation, McPherson showed several aerial photos of the school taken by state police in helicopter flyovers, and also photos of some maintenance roads coming off of London Bridge Road that service the athletic fields.

Those two maintenance roads are only about 14 feet wide, said McPherson, and do not meet the requirements for a second access according to the fire code.

Police Chief Gerald Lewis said the second access is important in case of an accident or other catastrophic event that could block London Bridge Road, which has some blind curves and steep grades off the edges of the road in some spots.

Lewis pointed out that everything from buses, propane delivery trucks and cars containing new student drivers will be traveling along that road either to or from the school.

“It takes one incident anywhere along here for us to have difficulty getting in and getting out,” Lewis said.

McPherson also used photos to point out the heavily wooded areas surrounding the school, saying there was no safe place to evacuate students without the access road being present.

Lewis said any incident of school violence would pose a problem in trying to evacuate and account for students in the woods, saying he and the chief would be the ones on the hook for any mishaps in the evacuation procedure.

Two arrested in Windham convenience store robbery

Salem Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:51:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Pelham police have arrested two suspects in connection with the Sept. 8 armed robbery of Cousin’s Convenience store on Main Street.

Kristopher Boissonneault, 22, of 101 Mammoth Road in Pelham, was charged with armed robbery after admitting to police during an interview that he entered the store brandishing a knife and robbed the clerk. He also faces a felony cocaine possession charge.

During questioning, Boissonneault revealed Matthew Perrotti, 18, of 116 Bridge St. in Pelham was the driver of their getaway vehicle. Perrotti was charged with criminal liability for the conduct of another.

On Monday, Sept. 8, according to a police affidavit prepared by Pelham police Sgt. Thomas O’Donnell, Boissonneault allegedly drove his silver Ford Explorer to Cousin’s and dropped off Perrotti, who went into the store to see who was working and how the cash register could be accessed. After making a small purchase, Perrotti left the store and met Boissoneault where he’d parked the Explorer, at the Highland Avenue apartments behind the store.

Shortly after, Boissoneault allegedly entered the store wearing black clothes and a gray ski mask, threatening the clerk with a long knife thought to be a machete and demanding the cash she was preparing for deposit, O’Donnell wrote in the affidavit. The clerk handed over a bag containing a large amount of money, and Boissonneault tried to open the cash drawer, according to police. When he couldn’t get it open, he grabbed several rolls of quarters from the counter and fled the store on foot and headed behind the building toward the apartment complex.

As he stood outside the store, Boissonneault removed his mask in plain view of the clerk, who was able to describe the suspect to police.

Police arrived at Cousin’s at around 3:40 p.m., and were able to track the suspect’s scent back to the apartments. The track was lost in the parking lot. They also found some rolls of quarters and the mask along the path Boissonneault allegedly took.

Police interviewed apartment tenants, one of whom said he saw the silver Ford Explorer exiting the parking lot, according to the affidavit.

While investigators were contemplating possible suspects, O’Donnell remembered that he and another detective were conducting surveillance for drug activity in the Cousin’s parking lot when a silver Ford Explorer drove through the parking lot, but did not stop or park before tearing out at a high speed.

The detectives requested a license plate number check, and a nearby marked unit was able to identify the vehicle’s owner as Boissoneault.

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the clerk was asked to pick the suspect out from a photo lineup, and easily identified Boissonneault, according to court documents. Police performed some more drug-related surveillance on Boissonneault before issuing a warrant for his arrest. He was stopped while driving at 5:09 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, and taken to the station for having cocaine in his possession.

When police questioned him about the robbery, Boissonneault allegedly admitted to doing it and gave up Perrotti as his driver, according to the affidavit.

“The police did very good,” said the store clerk. “Now we are going to have security cameras.”

Pathik Patel, one of the store’s managers, said security at the store is going to be a lot tighter now that they are setting up the cameras and have installed a panic button.

The store has been in business for about 10 months, he said.

“We thought this was a safe town, but I guess nothing’s too safe,” Patel said, adding the clerk was very sharp to have the presence of mind to remember the suspect and identify him from photos.

Patel said he is pleased with the Pelham Police Department’s thorough investigation. He added while the robbery was traumatizing for them, it’s going to be equally hard for the families of Boissonneault and Perrotti.

“I wish it didn’t happen,” he said. “They’re young kids. You don’t want their lives to end up this way.”

Both Boissonneault and Perrotti had probable cause hearings scheduled in Salem District Court for Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m.

Windham town employee arrested for sex assault

Salem Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:39:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A Windham town employee has been arrested for an alleged sexual assault after the victim reported the crime to a victim’s advocate.

Robert Dobson, 55, of 5 Princeton St., Windham, was arrested the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 19, Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis said.

Dobson was charged with aggravated felonious sexual assault for the incident, which court records alleged happened between July and September 2008.

Dobson works at the town’s transfer station/recycling center, and has for about 20 or 25 years, said David Poulson, the station’s manager. Poulson would not comment further on Dobson’s arrest.

According to court records, Windham police Sgt. Wendy Foley met with a guidance counselor at Windham Middle School on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The guidance counselor, identified in court records as Julie Lichtmann, told Foley a student had reported being sexually assaulted by Dobson.

Linda Wilmoth of the state’s Division of Children, Youth and Families interviewed the victim at the Child Advocacy Center in Derry, court records show, on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

During that interview, the victim described the alleged assault in detail, naming Dobson as the assailant.

At their weekly meeting on Monday, Sept. 22, the town’s Board of Selectmen discussed Dobson’s arrest in nonpublic session as a personnel matter. Police and town officials have released little else about the arrest.

After his arraignment, Dobson was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bail. He will appear in Salem District Court on Wednesday, Oct. 8, for a probable cause hearing.

Windham officer struck while directing traffic

Salem Editor — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:04:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

For the second time in just a few months, a Windham police officer was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic in the construction area along Route 111.

Officer Bryan Smith was hit in the back by the driver’s side mirror of a pickup truck when he apparently got lost in the truck’s blind spot, said Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis.

“The driver of the truck that hit him lost sight of officer Smith with the a-pillar on the truck,” said Lewis, who described the “a-pillar” as being the edge of the window frame. “That piece of the truck obscured the officer as (the driver) was making the turn onto 111, and his mirror caught the officer in the back.”

Smith and another officer were directing traffic at the intersection of Range Road and Route 111 when the accident happened at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11. The driver of the truck was making a left turn from Range Road onto Route 111. Smith was directing eastbound traffic on Range Road and the other officer was facilitating turns onto Route 111. The driver was following the directions of the other officer to make the turn when his view of Smith was obscured, Lewis explained.

The driver is not being charged with anything.

“The driver was paying attention. He was following the direction of another officer, he just happened to lose that officer as he was making the turn in his blind spot,” Lewis said.

Smith suffered a bruised back and some scrapes and was taken to Parkland Medical Center for evaluation.

Lewis said the need to keep the road open during the Route 111 construction work has made navigating the area especially difficult for drivers. The driving paths are often rerouted and narrowed to allow for better management of the traffic flow, and officers are put in close proximity to the passing vehicles.

“It’s a very involved, largescale construction project,” said Lewis. “It’s a busy intersection that handles a significant amount of traffic on a daily basis, and we do know that the traffic patterns are changing somewhat regularly. That’s kind of the nature of the beast.”

Lewis said he meets regularly with the project’s contractor to discuss coming changes in the traffic patterns so detail officers can adjust.

This incident is different from the one a couple of months ago, when officer Greg Malisos was directing traffic and had to jump out of the way of an oncoming vehicle, the driver of which veered out of his lane and was not paying attention, Lewis said. That driver was charged with driving negligently.

“We are certainly aware that there’s only so much you can do,” Lewis said. “Fortunately, the project is coming to an end, and it should be done very soon.”

The roadwork in that area will be completed in the next couple of months, Lewis said.

Emergency detours in Windham will help if I-93 closes

Salem Editor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:57:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

At least one local police chief has hailed the permanent blue emergency detour signs marking alternative routes around Interstate 93 as a “significant benefit.”

Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis said the newly placed road signs gave motorists, local drivers and his department a serious advantage should the interstate close in the event of an emergency.

“If we get up on 93 or Exit 3 for a situation where the road has to be closed, when we get those people off the road they’re immediately met with a detour route,” he said. “As it stood before the signs, getting off the highway, (motorists had) to figure it out on their own.”

In the past, according to Lewis, it had not always been possible for police officers or other town officials to have detour signs already in place for drivers coming off the highway during an emergency. Having a permanent route marked by signs has given his department an added advantage in dealing with those types of situations, he said.

“It makes it easier in the fact that we don’t have to worry about explaining one on one to motorists how to circumnavigate a route or spend staff hours setting up detour signs. The signs are already in place,” Lewis said. “It eliminates one very important task because its already in place. (The signs) are a tremendous benefit for us.”

Created as part of the project to widen and rebuild the swath of I-93 from the Massachusetts border to Manchester, the alternative routes form a planned detour in the event an emergency shuts down the highway. According to the project manager for the I-93 project, Peter Stamnas, the newly implemented alternative route system for the interstate has given local police, fire and public works departments a better handle on managing highway emergencies in the future.

“The purpose is to provide appropriate routes in case of diversion,” said Stamnas, of the state Department of Transportation. “They’re a part of our incident management plan for Interstate 93.”

Stamnas coordinated with local police, fire and public works departments – as part of a steering committee – to create the most effective emergency management plan possible for the highway. As part of that management plan, municipalities were asked to draw up permanent detour routes for motorists should an emergency require the closure of I-93.

Though the amount of traffic the alternative routes could bring to local roads – especially Route 111 – and the impact that may have on the emergency response times of the department remains a concern for Lewis, he said the advantages outweighed any potential negatives.

“We’re certainly going to have to be extra cautious and the fact that you have vehicles that are unfamiliar with the route – they may want to turn around, may make unannounced turns – we’ll have to be cognizant of that,” he said. “It’s going to push the traffic off onto the local roads, but that’s going to happen anyway.”

The only real problem with the blue alternative route signs – which Stamnas compared to the hurricane evacuation route signs in Florida – has been their placement. In some cases, residents have complained the signs have blocked their view at a turn, but they have not garnered any noticeable interest from residents.

“They signs are rather self-explanatory,” Lewis said.

As only one part of a larger plan to better manage emergency situations on I-93, Stamnas has also pointed to a number of other strategies designed to facilitate traffic congestion on the highway. Smart work zones, extra emergency accesses, and electronic message boards with variable messages are all ways to keep motorists on track, Stamnas said.

According to Lewis, the alternative routes passed their first real test on Aug. 25 when a van collided with a tractor-trailer during rush hour just before Exit 1 northbound on I-93 in Salem.

With the highway closed while rescue teams attempted to extricate the van’s driver over the course of about a half an hour, motorists began coming up Route 28 and getting back onto the highway at Exit 2 in Salem and Exit 3 in Windham.

He called the alternative routes an “absolute” success so far.

Windham man charged in sex assault on boy

Salem Editor — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:23:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A Windham man is facing a charge of aggravated felonious sexual assault after a 17-year-old boy told his therapist the man had sexually assaulted him twice, the last time being seven years ago in Londonderry.

Registered sex offender Richard D. Bauchman, 63, of 38 First St. in Windham waived a probable cause hearing in Derry District Court scheduled for Monday, Sept. 8. The case will now proceed to Superior Court.

A Child Protection Service representative called Londonderry Police Juvenile Services Detective Donald Laduke on March 13, reporting the boy had described the Londonderry assault to his therapist, according to an affidavit.

Several days later in an interview, the boy related his story to a forensic interviewer from the Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County in Derry.

The boy said he and Bauchman were riding down trails near the old railroad bed. Police later identified the area as immediately next to Tru-Green Chemlawn at 15 Delta Drive in Londonderry through the victim’s description of trucks he could see in a nearby parking lot.

The alleged assault occurred when the victim was 9 or 10 years old, and lasted about 20 minutes, the victim told investigators.

Laduke and Windham police Detective Daniel Clark went to Bauchman’s home on June 10 and asked him to answer some questions.

According to the affidavit, Bauchman told Laduke and Clark several times that he didn’t remember the incident in question. Bauchman then said he was “99 percent sure” he hadn’t committed the assault, the affidavit said.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office authorized a taped phone conversation between the victim and Bauchman. During the conversation, Bauchman expressed his concern about authorities finding out about the incident.

“They would arrest me and put me in jail for 30 years,” Bauchman allegedly said in the taped conversation.

Bauchman also told the victim that since the information came from his therapist, authorities would not be able to prove anything.

The victim then asked Bauchman why he did it, to which Bauchman allegedly replied, “I don’t know. I wish it never happened, to tell you the truth. I’m sorry I did it, but I wish, you know, I wish I could go back in time and say, you know, it didn’t happen.”

Bauchman was convicted of aggravated felonious sexual assault in April 1988 in Sonoma County Court in California. The victim in that case was under the age of 13.

Bauchman was arraigned in Derry District Court on Tuesday, Sept. 2, is being held at the Rockingham County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.

Man with foot fetish faces assault charges in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:20:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

After Windham police received an anonymous tip, a man suspected of assaulting female yoga and fitness instructors has been caught.

Eric Henson, 31, of 116 Barretts Hill Road, Hudson, was arraigned on three charges of simple assault in Salem District Court on Tuesday, July 22.

Henson admitted to placing the feet of his female victims against his groin while they demonstrated a stretching movement. He told them he was a karate instructor looking to open a business in town, police said.

All three Windham assaults took place in the neighboring Commons and Village Green plazas on Route 111.

Windham police Sgt. Michael Caron said Henson admitted to the alleged Windham acts during questioning, adding Henson is suspected of similar crimes on about a dozen other occasions in other New Hampshire towns as well as in his former town of Wakefield, Mass.

“I think this individual certainly has a problem that needs to be addressed,” Caron said after Henson’s arraignment.

Caron said Henson moved to town on or around Friday, June 27. The first assault was Tuesday, July 1, at the Windham Pilates and Wellness Center at Village Green.

In that incident, the pilates instructor was showing Henson some moves after he entered the studio and said he wanted to learn some exercises to speed up his recovery from an injury. She pulled away and confronted Henson verbally, and he left.

The next two assaults were on Thursday, July 17, at The Commons Plaza at approximately 5:30 p.m. Police responded to a call from a woman in the parking lot who said a man had approached her and said he was a karate teacher and wanted to show her a move. According to a police affidavit, Henson also told her she had nice legs and feet.

Henson allegedly said he had to grab her leg and foot to do it. He then placed her foot against his crotch, according to police.

While police were dealing with that call, another woman who works at Yoga Sanctuary in the same plaza told officers that a man with a similar description had entered the studio and asked for massage advice. Flynn demonstrated the massage, and Henson allegedly took her foot and put it against his crotch.

Caron said an anonymous caller told police the culprit was Henson. Investigators were able to reach Henson through his work cell phone around noon on Monday, July 21, and asked him to come to the station for an interview.

Henson came to the station about an hour and a half later, and admitted to committing the Windham assaults in addition to nine to 15 others in other New Hampshire and Massachusetts towns.

“(Henson) claimed he would use the same ‘stretching’ routine to get women close to him. He stated that he has a foot fetish and that it has become a problem.

He admitted that this all started about two to three years ago, but it has been an issue for about year,” the affidavit said.

Caron said Henson admitted to having a problem, and seemed remorseful towards the end of the interview.

Although Henson is suspected of many more similar crimes, most of the victims did not inform their local law enforcement agencies, Caron said.

Windham police do know of one similar incident that took place in a public park in Wakefield, Mass.

Salem District Court Judge John Korbey set Henson’s bail at $25,000 cash or surety. Prosecutors at the arraignment argued Henson had close ties to Massachusetts and was a flight risk.

Assault reported at Windham yoga center

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:33:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Windham Police are still looking for a man who reportedly assaulted a yoga instructor after she showed him some yoga moves.

The woman, an employee of Windham Pilates and Wellness Center, reported the alleged assault to police shortly after the incident occurred at around 7 p.m. on Monday, July 1, said Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis.

She described the suspect as about 5 feet, 10 inches tall with blond hair, possibly in his early 30s. He was wearing a white T-shirt, a gold chain and either jeans or khaki pants at the time of the incident.

Contrary to news reports already published about the incident, Lewis said, the woman was not a victim of a sexual assault in the accepted sense of the term.

“There was an assault that took place that was sexual in nature. There was no rape that took place, and no attempted rape,” said Lewis, adding the assault was of very short duration.

According to the woman’s account, the man entered the studio and asked the woman about some physical therapy exercises he could do for an injury he had sustained.

The assault took place as the yoga instructor demonstrated some exercises. The perpetrator fled upon being confronted verbally with his inappropriate behavior, Lewis said.

The pilates studio was open at the time of the incident, as were several other businesses in the Village Green plaza on Route 111, where the studio is located.

Nobody who was working in any of those businesses saw the suspect, Lewis said, nor was anyone able to provide police with the description of a vehicle in which he may have fled.

Upon taking the report, the Windham Police contacted the police departments in surrounding towns as well as the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department with a description of the suspect. No leads have been generated thus far, Lewis said, and no similar incidents had occurred in other towns.

Lewis said they are still hoping to identify the man. Anyone with any information regarding the incident should call the Windham Police Department at 434-5577.

Two Windham men nabbed again

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:27:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Two Windham men who were already facing charges for an attempted robbery in June were arrested again for assaulting a Salem man the night before they were to appear in court on their previous charges.

Salem police arrested Thomas Winward, 17, and Shawn Mahoney, 18, both of Windham, and charged both with simple assault and drug possession on the evening of Monday, July 7, after they allegedly entered the Salem apartment of Nick Pettiford and attacked him.

According to Salem police Capt. Shawn Patten, Pettiford’s girlfriend was at the apartment when Mahoney and Winward showed up at the apartment to confront Pettiford about some guns and a video game they believed Pettiford stole from Winward’s home.

Winward and Mahoney allegedly attacked Pettiford while inside the apartment, at which point Pettiford’s girlfriend reported the incident to police.

“When the girlfriend called police, the two suspects fled. (Pettiford) went after them and got a bat from his car,” Patten said.

When police arrived, Patten said, Pettiford was swinging a bat at Winward and Mahoney but did not land any blows. Pettiford suffered minor injuries to his face and head area in the attack. Neither Mahoney nor Winward was injured.

Both Winward and Mahoney were carrying about an ounce of marijuana each, Patten said, and were also charged with possession.

No charges are being filed against Pettiford at this point, said Patten, adding an investigation into the claims that Pettiford had stolen guns and a video game from Winward has turned up nothing.

Winward and Mahoney were two parts of a trio of midnight prowlers who were arrested when they tried to break into a Pelham Road home on Sunday, June 1. Daniel Smith, 19, of Salem rounded out the band of would-be bandits.

Despite the July 7 arrest, both Mahoney and Winward appeared in Salem District Court July 8 for probable cause hearings for the attempted robbery and to be arraigned on the new charges. Smith waived his probable cause hearing.

The Pelham Road incident resulted in charges of criminal trespassing, criminal mischief, prowling, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of alcohol.

During that arrest, all three suspects were extremely uncooperative and combative with arresting officers, Patten said. One officer was actually injured in the process of trying to subdue the three men, sustaining a knee injury that sent him to Parkland Medical Center for treatment. Officers had to Taser Mahoney at the time because of his out-of-control resistance, Patten said.

By the end of their day in court, probable cause was found to prosecute both Winward and Mahoney for their alleged roles in the attempted burglary. Bail was set for the new charges at $10,000 cash or surety for both Winward and Mahoney. They will appear next in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, for their trial on the new charges.

Man killed in Windham crash

Salem Editor — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:03:00 GMT

BY JIM DEVINE

Police shut down a rural stretch of Route 28 for six hours Friday, May 2, after a Derry man was killed in a single-car accident.

Police found the driver, Esau Stanley Jr., 32, of Derry, dead at the scene near the Libbey Road intersection of Rockingham Road shortly after the accident was called in around 7:30 a.m.

Police Chief Gerald Lewis said speed may have been a factor.

“It’s one of the things we’re going to look at,” Lewis said. “It’s still at the early stages where we’re collecting a lot of information.” Lewis said Stanley’s 2008 Chevrolet Corvette was found a short distance off the road on its side.

“It went off the road and into the woods where it did hit some trees and went over,” Lewis said. “We don’t believe seat belts were being used."

While the stretch of Route 28 where the accident happened has few traffic lights, Lewis wouldn’t characterize it as a road where speeding commonly occurs.

“It’s commuter traffic. They travel at roughly 45 to 50 mph,” he said.

Stanley’s wife Michelle, 32, a passenger in the car, received minor injuries from the crash.

The road was closed off to through traffic through 2:30 p.m. on May 2 as police investigated the scene with help from Derry Police Department’s accident reconstruction team.

Police are seeking information from anyone who might have seen the crash.

Anyone with information can call Windham officer Bryan Smith at 434-5577.

FedEx driver is charged, 27 children unhurt in collision

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:59:00 GMT

By Darrell Halen

The driver of a FedEx truck that collided with a school bus carrying 27 middle school students has been charged with failing to keep on the right side of the road.

None of the Windham Middle School students was injured when the collision occurred on Cristy Road around 2:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 2. But the crash sent both drivers to the hospital for injuries.

Police Capt. Patrick Yatesevich said the FedEx driver, Dominic Mancino, was charged with failure to keep right.

The charge is a violation and carries a fine of $75. Mancino is not required to appear in court but must answer a summons through the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days, according to Yatsevich. Mancino was issued the summons on Jan. 7 by officer Bryan Smith.

Mancino, of 15 Meadow Drive, Goffstown, suffered lower leg injuries. He was semi-concious when rescue workers arrived but became more alert as he was treated, said Fire Chief Thomas McPherson.

The bus driver, Thomas Murray, of 5 Rainstree, Londonderry, suffered lacerations and abrasions to his left hand and face. He was treated at Parkland Medical Center in Derry.

The severity of the damage from the accident was something one would expect to see on an accident occurring on a highway or major road, McPherson said.

“To see it on a secondary street was pretty amazing,” McPherson said. “Obviously, it could have been worse.”

McPherson credited the students with staying calm on the bus after the accident. Another bus brought them back to school where they were released to family members.

Windham police were assisted in their investigation of the collision by the New Hampshire Highway Patrol.