Man who vandalized The Foundry high on meth at the time, came to NH seeking drug treatment

Sign Up For Our FREE Daily eNews!

GROVE
Damage outside The Foundry which was caused by Michael Grove, a man from Tennessee who was living homeless. Police say he allegedly came to NH seeking drug treatment and stayed. Police believe he was high on methamphetamine when he caused $250,000 in damage to the restaurant. Photo/Jeffrey Hastings. Inset of Grove/MPD

MANCHESTER, NH – A man accused of breaking into the Foundry Restaurant and causing $250,000 in damages to doors, windows, computers and liquor remains in jail until at least a further court hearing later this month.

Michael Grove, 35, who is homeless but previously resided at 103E Irving Lane, Oak Ridge, Tenn., was arraigned Wednesday in Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District on felony charges of burglary, reckless conduct, criminal mischief and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest or detention.

Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Mandi Werner asked Judge Diane Nicolosi to order Grove preventatively detained saying he was a danger to property and the public.  She said Grove came to New Hampshire to undergo drug rehabilitation.  Yet, when he allegedly broke into The Foundry early in the morning on July 21 she said he was high on drugs.  Police, she said, believed he took methamphetamine.

Grove, who was subdued by officers who fired bean bags at him, that morning was taken to the Elliot Hospital for treatment.  There, the prosecutor said, he threatened the officers and medical staff and said he “would eat their children.”

Public Defender Jordan Strand, however, said Grove suffered from mental illness and asked the court to order deputies to take him to the Elliot Hospital to be evaluated and, if necessary, then transferred to the New Hampshire State Hospital.  

The judge closed the hearing while the defense provided confidential information concerning Grove’s mental illness.  After, the judge said she was going to order Grove to be preventatively detained but set a July 31 bail hearing to obtain further evidence concerning his mental health status.

Later in the afternoon, she issued her bail order in which she said there is clear and convincing evidence Grove is a danger to himself or the public.

She wrote that the nature of the incident that led to charges, “which included unusual and violent behavior at the restaurant and at the hospital that may be grounded in a substance use (methamphetamine) disorder or mental issues or both.  A further bail hearing is scheduled to allow the defense to present evidence in support of its request that the defendant be evaluated for involuntary/voluntary admission to the state hospital due to mental health issues versus active meth use. The State will present a live witness or witnesses who observed the defendant’s behavior and demeanor in the restaurant and in the hospital.  It shall disclose any statements made by the defendant and the identity of the person to whom he spoke.”

According to court records, at 2:43 a.m. on July 21 police went to The Foundry at 50 Philippe Cote St. for a reported burglary.  Arriving officers heard the sound of glass shattering from inside the restaurant.  As they approached the building, they saw damaged patio furniture, tables and chairs tipped over, tossed and destroyed.  Several windows were broken and the rear glass door was shattered. 

Grove was inside behind the bar picking up glass bottles of alcohol and throwing them in all directions. He refused to come out of the restaurant with his hands up so Sgt. Jared Yaris, from outside the restaurant, fired one round from his bean bag shotgun, striking him. 

Grove retreated behind the bar and threw a bottle in the direction of officers entering the restaurant.  Yaris ducked to avoid the bottle but cut his hand on some shattered glass.  Yaris then fired another bean bag round, again striking Grove who fell to the floor and shouted something to the effect of “I give up.”

General manager James Peretti was called to the restaurant and he estimated damages at $250,000 which included a loss of revenue, as he believed the restaurant would take several weeks to clean and make repairs.

On Wednesday on its Facebook page, however, The Foundry posted a notice that planned to reopen on July 24 at 4 p.m. 

“This was a very disheartening thing, but our team pulled together to get the restaurant cleaned up and ready to go. More updates to follow… Have a great day!!” the post said.

In a Wednesday post by head chef Matt Provencher, on his Facebook page, said:

This is what I woke up to this morning. He broke into the restaurant smashing windows, breaking bottles and glassware.

“This is what the city I grew up in is turning into,” head chef Matt Provencher said on his personal Facebook page on Wednesday.  “I’m a firm believer that if the good people leave there will be no one left to make this city great again. With things like this happening it’s making it hard to want to stay.

“What this guy doesn’t realize is how far his actions go. I had to call off my cooks today and tomorrow. The servers were called off for two days. Those are employees that will not get paid in an already really hard time. I’m not ordering product in for two days, that’s farmers that won’t sell products, fish mongers that won’t deliver. As an industry we don’t need any more challenges.

“At some point the city needs to address these problems. Not just put them in tents under the bridge.”

Wednesday afternoon at the restaurant everyone was tied up and unavailable to speak with a reporter about the incident.

The bail hearing is set for July 31 at 1 p.m.

 

 

About this Author

Pat Grossmith

Pat Grossmith is a freelance reporter.