Merrimack Man Indicted for Attempted Murder

A Merrimack man indicted in February on assault and kidnapping charges, has been indicted in April on attempted murder, criminal threatening and three counts of simple assault.

Matthew Bobola, 45, who has been incarcerated in Valley Street Jail since his arrest on Jan. 1, is accused of trying to kill a family member by putting zip ties around her neck and trying to strangle her, a substantial step toward the act of killing someone, a Hillsborough County grand jury says.

He is also charged with criminal threatening, reportedly telling his victim, "If you leave, you better take the dog with you because I'm going to burn the house down. I have severa! gallons of kerosene and a flare in the basement” or words to that effect.

The three simple assault charges are for allegedly grabbing her ankles and pulling her off the couch, poking her in the eye with his thumb and twisting her arm above her head.

The three simple assault charges and criminal threatening charge are class A misdemeanors, each punishable by up to a year in jail and up to $2,000 in fines.

The attempted murder charge is a felony punishible by life in prison.

Police arrested Bobola at the beginning of the year, alleging that he physically restrained and assaulted a family member during an argument at home.

And indictment is not an indication of guilt by rather a ruling by a grand jury that there's enough evidence to move a case forward to trial.

Bobola has been held on cash-only bail since his arrest.