Nashua Man Accused Of Threatening A Child With A Handgun

NASHUA, NH — A man from Nashua is facing a felony charge after being accused of threatening a child with a handgun after an incident in January.

On Jan. 3, police received a report from the Division for Children Youth and Families that a child at school informed a staffer about a gun incident at her home during the holiday break. The child accused Stephen Demontigny, 34, of Chandler Street in Nashua, of pointing a gun at her on New Year's Day.

A detective and a DCYF employee spoke with the girl who reported a man and woman arguing during the evening, with the woman holding the handgun at her side, according to an affidavit. The girl yelled at them to stop, and when she did, she accused Demontigny of taking the firearm from the woman, turning around, yelling at the girl to “shut up,” and pointing the gun at her, the report said.

At the time, the girl had others at her house for a sleepover, the report said. The girl gave the detective a description of the gun — calling it small and gray. It was identified later as a .22 caliber Beretta.

Another family member also was interviewed about the incident and confirmed they had spoken to the child about what happened and heard the same story, an affidavit said.

Two detectives spoke to the woman about the incident, and she denied Demontigny pointed the gun at anyone, the report said.

A detective also spoke with Demontigny. The affidavit claimed he said they had been drinking which led to the argument but he denied holding the gun. Demontigny claimed he “knocked the firearm” out of the woman’s hand, causing it to fall, the report said.

Later that day, an affidavit said, the gun was retrieved from the home during a consent search.

Ten days later, a detective contacted another parent of one of the sleepover attendees who heard about the incident.

The Child Advocacy Center also interviewed the girl, noting how upset and stressed the victim was about the incident.

Two weeks later, a detective met with a center employee who had also interviewed the other sleepover attendees who reported hearing screaming and comments about a gun, the report said. The second family member was also interviewed again and reiterated the same story as before.

An arrest warrant was issued against Demontigny on a single felony criminal threat charge. He was arrested on April 8. Demontigny was processed and released on $300 cash bail. He had a disposition hearing on Monday and is due back in Hillsborough County Superior Court South for arraignment on April 28.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Nashua Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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