FARMINGTON — A local man is accused of assaulting two women at a home on Knowlton Corner Road, threatening to kill one of them and her family, and unlawful possession of heroin.
Roger A. Gomes III, 41, formerly of Massachusetts, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, one count each of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, domestic violence assault, assault, unlawful possession of heroin and violation of condition of release.
Martin Ryder, 19, of Maynard, Massachusetts, who was also at the home, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine.
Police responded to 272 Knowlton Corner Road about 12:10 p.m. Sunday for a report of a domestic disturbance and aggravated assault, according to interim Farmington Police Chief Shane Cote on Monday.
A Massachusetts woman called 911 to report receiving messages from her sister, also of Massachusetts, of a hostage situation at a Farmington residence. Sgt. Michael Lyman called the complainant and learned that her sister had left Massachusetts in a black Mercedes on Saturday.
Lyman and officers Ethan Boyd and Jeffrey Brann who were in the area when Lyman saw a vehicle that matched that description coming from the direction of that road. A man was driving and a woman was a passenger, according to Lyman’s affidavit filed in a Farmington court.
Boyd and Lyman stopped the car on Wilton Road and identified the driver as Martin Ryder, 19, of Maynard, Massachusetts. His passenger was a 21-year-old woman from Massachusetts whose sister called 911. Boyd’s police dog, Hook, indicated there were drugs in the car, and a preliminary search found wax paper with a yellow/brown substance inside that presumptively tested positive for methamphetamine, according to Lyman’s document. It weighed 1,200 milligrams.
Lyman spoke to the passenger, who said she was picked up by Ryder in Massachusetts about 5 p.m. Saturday, according to the affidavit. She had previously coordinated with her aunt, who lives with Gomes at 272 Knowlton Corner Road, to do some cleaning. After they arrived at the residence, the woman and her aunt started arguing.
According to the affidavit, the woman thought Gomes was being aggressive to her aunt and punched him in the head. He punched her in the face, grabbed her and her aunt from behind, while they were on the floor and choked them. The woman saw her aunt go unconscious and then she did as well.
When the woman woke up, Gomes threatened to kill her and her father and told her and her aunt they would not be leaving “without black eyes,” Lyman wrote. The woman also said he had three pistols and a long gun.
After the assault, Ryder left to drive the woman back to Massachusetts, but was stopped by police.
Police arrested Gomes outside of the house and learned he had bail conditions prohibiting him from drinking or possessing alcohol and illegal drugs. A search warrant turned up three pistols and a shot gun, a small plastic bag containing a brown, powdery substance that presumptively tested positive for heroin.
Police also learned Gomes was convicted in 2009 of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs. He is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail at the Franklin County Detention Center. Ryder was released Monday on $2,500 bail, according to a corrections officer.
A conviction for aggravated assault is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Convictions on the drug and gun charges are each punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up $5,000. Convictions for domestic violence assault and assault are each punishable by up to 364 days in prison in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. A conviction for violation of condition of release is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,00o.
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