Concord Man Accused Of Biting Girl On The Thigh During Late July Incident In The West End

CONCORD, NH — A West End man is facing assault charges after police in Concord were notified by DCYF about an incident involving a child, according to court documents.

In early August, incident information was given to DCYF, and a report was taken accusing Keith Cassettari, 41, of Ridge Road in Concord, of assaulting a girl, according to an affidavit. The reporting party had a relationship with Cassettari and a woman and was attempting to help them progress through family issues. According to a report, the week before, a boy and a girl were playing at Cassettari’s home. The playing, the affidavit said, “escalated to a physical altercation,” and the girl became frustrated. At the same time, Cassettari became upset and bit the girl through two sets of clothing, leaving a mark, the affidavit stated.

The incident reportedly occurred in late July.

Cassettari, the report said, was “ashamed” of the incident, knew it was wrong, and had been trying to reconnect with a counselor to deal with his anger issues. Anger management, he was accused of saying, was “BS.” He also reportedly blamed the woman for not being a supportive parent.

The woman stated she had pictures and had filed court paperwork to address some issues, the report said.

About a week later, a Concord detective contacted the woman and spoke with her about the incident, as well as other matters.

The woman stated the incident occurred when a bicycle was knocked over, and the boy and girl began arguing. Cassettari picked the girl up to move her away from the situation and, while doing so, bit the girl on the right thigh, the affidavit said. The bite mark did not break the skin but did leave a large bruise on her leg, the woman said. The woman submitted a picture of the wound as well as text messages between the woman and the man about the incident.

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

The woman said the girl was also being carried away “by her head,” which caused her to start crying. When they spoke about the incident, she also accused Cassettari of appearing “nonchalant about it” and did not deny he bit the girl, the affidavit said.

During both counseling with the girl at Dartmouth Hitchcock and a parenting meeting, the woman said, the bite incident came up and she accused Cassettari of admitting to biting the girl.

The detective suggested the girl be questioned by the Merrimack County Child Advocacy Center, but the woman declined the suggestion, the report stated.

The detective confirmed receiving photos of the injury as well as text messages between the man and the woman.

“This is not a kid mark,” the woman wrote, “And she says it’s you. Which seems crazy.”

Cassettari allegedly replied, “Eek yes from me, didn’t realize that would happen.”

Later, he explained the situation and stated none of the physical things should have happened, according to the affidavit.

The detective also spoke with a counselor and a child protective services worker about the situation. DCYF submitted information about both households to the detective and a warrant was issued for Cassettari’s arrest on Aug. 20. He was arrested on Sept. 10 on felony second-degree assault-child under 13 and child endangerment charges.

Cassettari is due in Concord District Court on Oct. 8 for a probable cause hearing.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube or Rumble channels. Patch in New Hampshire is now in 190 communities. Also, follow Patch on Google Discover.