Cops: Argument Over Missing Crack Cocaine Led To Front Street Shooting

MANCHESTER, NH — Anthony Barahona appeared in Hillsborough County Superior Court Friday for arraignment on charges related to a shooting on Front Street Wednesday.

Barahona was accused of shooting a man at a house, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg referred, to as "a known nuisance property "at 389 Front St.

Police, fire, and EMS responded to the property at about 3 p.m. When they arrived, they found a man sitting on the front step. Based on several previous incidents at the address, they took cover behind a police cruiser and approached the man.

The man who was suffering a gunshot wound to the foot is referred to as “B.P.” in court paperwork. Officers evacuated him away from the house and medics provided treatment at the scene for what was described as a non-life-threatening injury.

Police set up a perimeter around the house and closed Front Street to traffic. Officers determined there were at least six people inside the house and ordered them to come out over the loudspeaker of one of the police bearcats.

After several people exited the house, SWAT officers made entry accompanied by a police K-9. The interior of the house was searched, and no other occupants were found.

The house was secured by police who were awaiting a search warrant. Police interviewed several people who vacated the house at the scene. One woman was transported in a cruiser from the scene.

Court paperwork indicates the victim told officers he had a disagreement over missing drugs with a roommate inside the home. The roommate, who was identified as Anthony Barahona, produced a handgun, cocked it, pointed the gun at the victim, and then shot him in the foot. The victim told police he had known Anthony Barahona for several years and sublet a room from him.

An occupant of the house told police, according to court documents she heard a gunshot. She told detectives in an interview that Barahona was arguing about missing drugs before the shooting. She said Barahona accused the victim of stealing his crack cocaine, and the victim denied it.

When the occupant went to the second floor, she saw the victim with a gunshot wound and Barahona gathering his belongings. She ran back downstairs and called 9-1-1

After a tip and possible sighting Thursday morning, Front Street was closed at Dunbarton Road and the Amoskeag Bridge intersection. Manchester Police SWAT approached the house in a bearcat and began to instruct everyone to exit the house, specifically mentioning Barahona by name.

Several members of law enforcement from Manchester police and Hillsborough County deputies were seen on Interstate 293 South with their weapons drawn and searching the woods behind the Front Street address.

Several people living in the house gathered in the parking lot just north of the address and were being interviewed by police.

After SWAT entered the house with several officers and a K-9, the suspect was located inside the building and taken into custody after a short struggle. Barahona was removed from the building and transported from the scene in the police transport truck. SWAT searched the building for any additional people and did not locate anyone.

MPD Spokesperson Heather Hamel said police set up a perimeter, deployed a drone, and searched for Barahona. He was located hiding inside, on the second floor of the house.

In court, prosecutors said that Barahona was hiding in a bathtub that he had pulled a futon over. A police K-9 located him and there was a struggle with the officers and K-9.

When Barahona entered the courtroom in orange jail clothing a bandage could be seen on his arm, sources indicated that was a wound from the K-9.

Barahona is charged with first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest.

The defense attorney argued that Barahona should be released on $1,000 cash bail and that the bail should then be reduced to personal recognizance bail if he enters a rehabilitation facility. The attorney said that he has no idea how credible the witnesses are and that the police never located a firearm.

Honorable Judge David Anderson said that the state had made a case that there is clear and convincing evidence that Barahona is a danger to the public. He was ordered held on preventative detention, when assigned an attorney he has the right to have an evidentiary hearing arguing for bail.

Immediately after the decision was made on the bail, Barahona spoke and said some unclear words to the judge. Bailiffs approached Barahona to remove him from the courtroom and he refused to stand up. Bailiffs utilized the restraint belt to pull him up and remove him, after the door shut to the holding area you could hear loud yelling.

Barahona is charged with first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest.

This is not the first time Barahona has been in court and is currently released on a suspended sentence for reckless conduct, disobeying an officer, driving after suspension, and reckless operation. These charges were filed in June 2021.

He was sentenced to one year in the House of Corrections on the charges. The sentence was suspended for two years beginning in October 2022. The only time that he served was 40 days while being held on bail.

In a statement released by Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg, he said "I'd like to commend Manchester officers for their hard work and persistence in locating and taking this dangerous individual into custody. The house where this incident occurred is a known nuisance address. There have been police investigations there, and yesterday, a shooting. Manchester police will work diligently to improve this situation and the area's safety.”

Late Thursday afternoon, the property owner boarded up the windows and doors with plywood after several city agencies said no one could return to the property. City tax records list the owner as John Privitera, who took ownership in 2017. The building was constructed in 1857.

At the time of the SWAT incident, there was no running water or electricity to the building.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news