MANCHESTER, NH – Two homeless men were indicted on manslaughter charges in the death of another homeless man who was beaten and kicked to death in Victory Park last year.
A Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District grand jury indicted Brandon Gomez, 36, and Brandon McNeil, 32, on charges of manslaughter and negligent homicide in the death of Brian Berlo, 57, who Gomez accuse of stealing his cell phone.
Gomez was indicted on two counts of manslaughter, and one charge each of negligent homicide and first-degree assault. McNeil was indicted on manslaughter, accomplice to manslaughter, negligent homicide and second-degree assault.
According to court records, on Sept. 30, 2021, Gomez, after accusing Berlo of stealing his cell phone, repeatedly punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground in Victory Park.
A witness told police Berlo got back up, telling Gomez he didn’t know what he was talking about. Gomez, she told police, punched him again in the face and Berlo fell onto his back, hitting his head on the ground.
He began “snoring” and struggled to breathe, she said.
McNeil is accused of kicking Berlo three times, when he was on the ground.
According to the indictments, Berlo suffered a subdural hematoma, when a torn vessel bleeds in a membrane between the brain and skull, as a result of being beaten by Gomez resulting in his death. McNeil is also accused of causing Berlo to suffer a subdural hematoma when he kicked him causing him to suffer a fatal head injury.
What is a Grand Jury Indictment?
According to the NH Law Library, an indictment is a criminal charge against a person by a Grand Jury. A Grand Jury considers evidence presented by the County Attorney or the Attorney General and decides whether there is sufficient evidence to formally charge a person with committing a crime. The Grand Jury does not decide if a person is guilty or innocent. Grand Jury indictments are public records that are released to the media monthly by the state.
Others indicted included:
- Gary Bournival, 65, of 48 Henriette St., Apt. 209, theft by unauthorized taking. On April 27, 2020, he stole more than 1,800 pounds of metal worth more than $1,500 from Granite State Manufacturing, according to the indictment.
- Nicole Brouillette, 33, of 12 Harold St., kidnapping. According to the indictment, on March 29, 2020, Brouillette took a child, who was under the age of 18 and not a blood relative, with the intent to keep the child from the person with custody. She then voluntarily released the child without serious bodily injury in a safe place prior to trial.
- Kristopher Butler, 31, of 435 Amherst St., Apt. 2, two counts each of forgery and theft by deception. On Feb. 3, 2021, Butler is accused of forging the name of Maria Devlin of Families in Transition on a check and obtaining $3,322.11. He also is accused of forging another check on the account of Kraus Associates, obtaining $2,877.11.
- Michael Fleet, 35, of 371 Holly Ave., two counts of receiving stolen property and one charge of reckless conduct. On Aug. 11, 2021, he is accused of being in possession of a stolen vehicle belonging to “H.S.” and driving in the wrong lane, causing a head-on collision. On Aug. 24, 2021, he is accused of having an iPhone 11 Pro belonging to “B.S.” and turning it into an Eco ATM machine for cash.
- Arthur Harnden, 50, of 2255 Goffs Falls Road, Apt. 6, two counts of reckless conduct. On Oct. 1, 2021, he is accused of throwing a cup of gasoline onto two people.
- Larry Hudon, 65, 19 Prospect St., criminal threatening with a deadly weapon. On March 7, 2021, Hudon is accused of brandishing a wooden table leg at “S.P.” and threatening to kill him.
- Donald Johnson, 40, of 4 Wyman Road, Deering, six counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault and three felonious sexual assault charges involving a child from the time she was eight-year-old until she was 17. One of the charges alleges a years-long pattern of sexual assault.
- Jonathan Levasseur, 46, of 65 Roycraft Road, criminal threatening. On Sept. 29, 2021, Levasseur is accused of ratcheting a rifle and holding it in an upright position, causing his wife to fear for her safety.
- Rayana Lugo, 20, of 8 Gillis St., Apt. 2, Nashua, two counts of nonconsensual dissemination of private sex images. According to the indictments, on Nov. 11, 2020, Lugo is accused of posting private sex images of an individual’s intimate parts on Snapchat and Facebook with the intent to harass, threat or coerce that person.
- Brenda McCann, 49, of 715 Union St., Apt. 2, two counts of forgery and one charge of theft by deception. She is accused on Feb. 24, 2020, and again on Feb. 28, 2020, of forging two checks, purporting to be an act of “E.C.” or FIC restaurants and obtaining $2,500.
- Carlos Perez, 42, of 83 Sagamore St., second floor, second-degree assault, witness tampering, four counts of criminal threatening and criminal restraint, all domestic-related. According to the indictments, on Oct. 5, 2021, Perez placed his hands around J.G.’s neck, applying pressure that impeded her breathing; threatened to “light her on fire” while holding a wand lighter; placed two fingers against her head and said he would “blow her fucking brains out”; held a knife against her throat and neck area; held a knife and moved it in a stabbing motion while saying, “Oh yeah, you want to leave me?”; told her he would “put a gun” to her head if she reported an incident of domestic violence to police, and used his body to block her from leaving a room.
- Troy Pickering, 23, of 265 Blucher St., criminal threatening. On Feb. 4, 2021, he is accused of holding a firearm to the side of “T.F.’s” head.
- David Previe, 30, of 436 Granite St., second-degree assault and criminal mischief. On Nov. 8, 2021, he is accused of kicking “J.G.” and breaking their jaw. That same day he is accused of striking the door on “S.H.’s “ vehicle, causing more than $1,500 in damage.
- William Ramirez, 32, of 354 Spruce St., falsifying physical evidence and second-degree assault. On Oct. 14, 2021, Ramirez is accused of firing an air pistol at “T.R.’s” face, striking her below the right eye. He then allegedly threw the .177 caliber Colt Defender CO2 air pistol in the garbage.
- James Riel, 53, of 277 Pine St., second-degree assault, domestic-related; criminal restraint and criminal threatening. On Oct. 7, 2021, Riel is accused of sitting on a woman’s stomach while holding a knife toward her body; held a knife in the area between her legs and said he was going to “cut her open;” and applied pressure to her neck causing her to experience impeded breathing or blood circulation or a change in voice.
- Jack Rockholt, 18, of 219 Dewey St., two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault. According to the indictments, on Sept. 4, 2021, he penetrated a 16-year-old when the teen was physically helpless to resist and used physical force when he used his hands to hold her arms down by her side while sexually assaulting her.
- Franklin Rodriguez Jr., 19, of 231 Sewall St., reckless conduct. On June 7, 2021, Rodriguez is accused of driving a 2010 Mercedes Benz recklessly at 128 mph on Interstate 293.
- Nestor Roman, 69, of 343 Auburn St., Apt. 2, six counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, involving a child from the time she was 9 until she was 14. The charges allege a pattern of sexual assaults.
- Jacklyn Sutcivni, 48, of 262 Dracut St., Dracut, Mass., criminal threatening, domestic violence. On Aug. 14, 2021 in Manchester, Sutcivni is accused of holding a knife with the blade facing “W.H.” and saying he was “going to kill him.”
- Thomas Van Uden, 57, of 49 Seton Drive, Goffstown, second-degree assault. On Aug. 2, 2021 in Manchester, Van Uden is accused of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance, causing a multiple-vehicle crash and seriously injuring “J.W.,” one of the operators.