Man charged with beating one other man to dying at N.H. Walmart

Crime

Eyewitnesses mentioned Brian Roberge was straddling one other man’s chest whereas hitting him within the head and face, in line with officers.

A New Hampshire man is going through a second-degree homicide cost after allegedly beating a 79-year-old man to dying at a Walmart in Somersworth, officers mentioned.

Somersworth resident Brian Roberge, 52, has been arrested and charged within the homicide of Heart Ossipee’s Jan VanTassel, 79, in line with a press launch from New Hampshire Lawyer Normal John M. Formella and Somersworth Police Chief Timothy McLin.

Officers responded to the Walmart round 11:19 p.m. on Friday and located VanTassel unresponsive and with seen head and facial accidents, Formella and McLin mentioned. First responders decided that VanTassel had died. 

On Sunday, Formella’s workplace introduced in a press launch that an post-mortem decided VanTassel died on account of compressional asphyxia, and that his dying was a murder. 

Authorities allege that Roberge “recklessly induced the dying of Mr. VanTassel below circumstances manifesting an excessive indifference to the worth of human life via homicidal violence,” in line with the press launch.

The discovering of compressional asphyxia is per eyewitness accounts that Roberge was straddling VanTassel’s chest for a number of minutes whereas hanging him within the head and face, Formella’s workplace mentioned. 

Further particulars in regards to the Walmart beating weren’t instantly out there. Nonetheless, Senior Assistant Lawyer Normal Peter Hinkley advised WMUR that “the character of what led as much as that assault on the sufferer continues to be being investigated in addition to what, if any, relationship there have been between the defendant and the sufferer.”

The information outlet reported that VanTassel was a volunteer firefighter in Heart Ossipee.

“He was well-known across the neighborhood, a pleasant man, by no means gave anybody any issues, he would all the time come by the fireplace division and chat in regards to the previous days,” Hearth Chief Dana Cullen advised WMUR. 

Roberge was scheduled for arraignment Monday afternoon in Strafford County Superior Court docket, courtroom data present. He has been assigned a public defender. 

Authorities have requested anybody with details about the incident to contact New Hampshire State Police Communications at 603-223-4381, consideration Det. Sgt. Justin Rowe.