PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire — A downtown businessman suffered a “significant head injury” during an early morning assault after confronting four teens who were moving barriers from around fire-damage rubble in Market Square, said police Sgt. Kuffer Kaltenborn.
Police and fire responders were called to the area of 75 Pleasant St. on Sunday, April 30, at 2:50 a.m. when the man was found unconscious on the ground, Kaltenborn said. A witness told police that four teenagers had been damaging barriers around the charred remains of the State Street Saloon buildings when the victim confronted them, to tell them to stop, the sergeant said.
One of the four teens pulled out a knife and threatened the man with it, police said. For a reason not yet known, the victim then fell to the ground, Kaltenborn said. The knife-wielding teenager then either beat the man unconscious, or continued to beat him after he had lost consciousness, Kaltenborn said.
A witness is alleged to have pulled the teen off the injured man and stood between him and the group of teenagers until they ran off when they heard police sirens, Kaltenborn said. The man was transported by ambulance to Portsmouth Regional Hospital “for serious injuries,” he said.
Several sources identified the man as a downtown business owner.
Fire Chief Steve Achilles said EMTs found the 49-year-old man unresponsive and with a laceration to the back of his head. The fire chief said the victim regained consciousness and was in stable condition when he was transported to the hospital.
Patrol officers found all four suspects, two of whom are charged confidentially through the juvenile justice system. According to the public police log, a 16-year-old is charged with second degree assault, criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, reckless conduct and drug possession.
A third juvenile is not facing any charges and the fourth, who is 18, has been charged as an adult, but not for charges related to the alleged assault, Kaltenborn said.
Karsten Cleaver-Stigum, 18, of 29 Mark St., is charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest which alleges he ran from police after being told to stop. He is also charged with a misdemeanor alleging he was in possession of marijuana at the time. Cleaver-Stigum was booked, released on $1,500 personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to be arraigned June 5 in the Portsmouth Circuit Court.
Kaltenborn described the assault as an isolated incident and urged anyone with information to call detective Rob Munson at (603) 610-7506 or officer T.J. Potter at (603) 610-7642. Anonymous tips can be made through Seacoast Crime Stoppers at (603) 431-1199, by texting CRIMES (274637) and including TIPSCS in the message, or online at seacoastcrimestoppers.com. Rewards of up to $1,000 may be paid for help solving cases if the information leads to the arrest or indictment.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.