MANCHESTER, NH – Michael Walsh was high on crack and paranoid Saturday when he assaulted several women, including cutting one in the face with a knife, according to court documents.
Walsh, 27, of 167 Union St., who has “Lost Cause” tattooed on his forehead, was arraigned Monday in 9th Circuit Court – District Division – Manchester. He is charged with two counts of first-degree assault; five counts of kidnapping; five counts of criminal threatening with a deadly weapon; one charge of being a felon in possession of a deadly weapon; falsifying physical evidence; six counts of simple assault, and resisting arrest.
According to the sworn affidavit of Officer Madeline Maloney, about 11 p.m. Saturday police were sent to 545 Pine St. after a man called to report another man with a knife was holding several women hostage. The caller, a 43-year-old man, said he managed to escape and was walking down Pine Street but the women were still inside Apartment 3.
The caller said when he first arrived at the apartment, Walsh, holding a knife down by his side, opened the door and ordered him to sit on the floor. He was not allowed to leave.
Maloney wrote that when she arrived on scene, she was able to look through an apartment window and see women inside and Walsh at the door holding a knife.
Officers surrounded the building and ordered Walsh to come out, but he initially ignored their repeated commands. After several minutes, a woman opened the door and three other women followed her out. Walsh was the last to emerge and was promptly handcuffed.
One of the women, M.C., had cuts to her forehead and left jaw. She told Maloney she and her girlfriend, M.W., had been staying at the apartment for about two weeks. The apartment tenant was a friend of hers, she said.
That friend, a 52-year-old woman, told police that during the incident Walsh had pushed her in the chest and prevented her from leaving her apartment.
According to the affidavit, Walsh and his girlfriend had been in the apartment the entire day.
M.C. said that Saturday was the first time she met Walsh and his girlfriend, who were smoking crack all day. He increasingly became paranoid, she said. About 6 p.m., M.C. realized she lost her phone and asked M.W. to check her location in an attempt to find it.
She said that caused “Michael’s behavior to become increasingly concerning.” M.C. became uncomfortable and tried to leave the apartment. When she went to unlock the door, Walsh came up behind her and grabbed her by her hair causing her to fall back onto the floor.
While on the floor, Walsh shoved her into a wall. M.C. said it was then she realized Walsh was holding a kitchen knife with an 8-inch blade. He threatened, “neither of them were making it out alive,” according to the affidavit.
M.C. placed herself between Walsh and M.W., to protect her girlfriend, but when she did, Walsh pushed M.C. up against a wall and held the knife to her throat. He then took the knife and cut the left side of her forehead and the left side of her jaw.
At the scene, she declined medical treatment.
M.C. said Walsh’s threatening behavior continued for several hours and at no time were any of the people inside the apartment allowed to leave.
About 11 p.m., M.C. said Walsh kicked M.W. in the face and shoulder and then punched her on the right side of her face. When M.C. tried to help M.W., there was a brief scuffle and Walsh threatened to “cut their eyeballs out of their head and slit their throats.”
Walsh is being held without bail in the Valley Street jail. A probable cause hearing is set for July 10.