Crime & Safety
Harsh Words Escalate Into Fight and Assault Charges
Two Danvers residents were arrested and a third is being called into court on an assault charge for an incident Sunday night outside their apartment complex.
Two residents were arrested and a third was issued a court summons after some harshly exchanged words rapidly escalated into a full out fight with fists and a baseball bat Sunday evening.
Police Sgt. Robert Bettencourt said officers responded to a report of a fight in the pool area outside the apartments on Kirkbride Drive at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Bettencourt said the altercation began after one man drove through the parking lot and another resident yelled at him to slow down. The driver took offense, got out of the car and confronted his neighbor.
The two males got into a fight and then a third person -- a female resident -- drove up in her car and joined the fray with a small baseball bat she pulled out, threatening the first man with the bat.
That man -- Paul Connelly, 50, of 1111 Kirkbride Dr., Danvers -- was arrested by police and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, intimidation of a witness and assault and battery.
The first two charges were due to Connelly kicking a cell phone out of the hand of a fourth person who was trying to dial 911, according to Bettencourt.
The woman -- Karina Beltre, 31, of 12117 Kirkbride Dr., Danvers -- was taken into custody and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (the baseball bat).
The second man involved in the altercation -- a 35-year-old resident -- was issued a court summons for assault and battery.
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