Merrimack Teen Arrested in Baseball Bat Beating

A Merrimack teenager was arrested Thursday Thursday in connection with a baseball bat beating.

Police said the teen and four accomplices broke into a home on Groton Street in Pepperell, Mass., at about 2 a.m., pulled out a male victim, beat him with a baseball bat, and robbed him. The victim called police and provided a description of their vehicle, police said. A short time later, an officer pulled over the vehicle and took them into custody.

Those arrested were:

• John Hixon, 18, of Nashua
• King Mercedes, 19, of Nashua
• Robert Gallant, 18, of Nashua
• Marc Berry, 21, of Nashua
• Unidentified male, 17, of Merrimack

All were charged with home invasion and robbery. Hixon was also charged with drug possession.

“We have reason to believe the victim was known to at least one of the suspects in this case and it appears that this was not a random incident,” Pepperell Police Chief David Scott said in a statement.

All five suspects were held pending an arraignment later Thursday.

Photo: John Liu via Flickr