'Thugs' terrorize blind woman in her apartment, police say

By Mark E. Vogler
Staff Writer

July 14, 2008 02:00 am

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HAVERHILL — Police arrested two men who they claim "took over" a blind woman's apartment and "terrorized her" last week.

"This is a perfect example of street thugs trying to take over an apartment and trying to take advantage of people, and we're not going to allow that to happen," Sgt. John Arahovites said.

Hector J. Delafuentes, 36, of 74 Pecker St. in Haverhill was charged with trespassing.

Wilfredo Santiago, 37, with a last-known address of 52 Beacon St. in Lawrence, was charged with trespassing and giving a false name to a police officer.

The two men are expected to be arraigned in Haverhill District Court today.

Arahovites said the Haverhill police narcotics unit and the bicycle patrol converged on a second-floor apartment at 19 Arlington St. shortly after 6 p.m. Friday to investigate reports of drug abuse, drinking and fighting inside the apartment.

Police ordered one man to leave the house before arresting the two others. Arahovites wouldn't name the blind woman or her husband because he said they fear for their lives.

"They came to the station (Friday) with another friend, and they fled from their house in fear because the people came up there. They took over the house and wouldn't leave. They were smoking crack cocaine and partying," Arahovites said.

"We just felt bad that these people were afraid to be in their own house," he said. "She's 43, and he's 61. After being allowed in there by the woman's sister, who is the girlfriend of one of the guys, they wouldn't leave. When we went there, the apartment was trashed. And we found people who didn't belong there and they were wreaking havoc in the neighborhood."

The area surrounding the Arlington Street apartment building has been the source of problems for months, according to Arahovites. He said anyone who might be experiencing similar trouble should call police at the first sign of any trouble.

Arahovites pledges "zero tolerance" in which police will crack down on quality-of-life crimes such as drinking on the sidewalk or disturbing the peace by arguing at night.

"We're going to enforce loitering laws or anything we can do to get the undesirables out of there," Arahovites said.