Man Grabs Victim’s Arm, Rips Clothing: Cops

MERRIMACK, NH — A local man who has already had a number of run-ins with the law is in more trouble after being arrested on Thursday, according to Merrimack Police. Christian Prater, 20, of Iris Drive in Merrimack, turned himself in to police on a warrant on Aug. 18, 2016, for two counts of simple assault, two counts of criminal mischief, obstructing the report of a crime, and theft by unauthorized taking.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Merrimack Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

According to police, the warrant stemmed from an alleged incident on Aug. 4, when Prater allegedly assaulted a person in a local home “by grabbing the victim’s arm and ripping clothing.” The victim attempted to call for help by Prater allegedly grabbed the phone away and prevented the call for assistance, according to Lt. Matthew Tarleton of the Merrimack Police Department.

“Prater was then alleged to have damaged two doors at the residence by kicking at them and thus causing structural damage,” he noted. “It was further reported that Prater stole a bicycle from the home. Upon further investigation, a warrant was drafted for his arrest.”

Prater turned himself in and then was released on personal recognizance bail. He’s due in Merrimack District Court on Aug. 23.

According to posts on Patch, Prater is no stranger to police. At around this time last year, Prater was charged with sexual assault, domestic violence, vandalism, and other charges. He was indicted on the charges in November 2015. In May of this year, he was arrested on a domestic violence charge and a bench warrant for failure to appear in court.