Oct. grand jury indictments include negligent homicide charge from 2019 involving bathtub drowning death of child

MANCHESTER, NH – A 25-year-old man is facing a negligent homicide charge in the bathtub drowning death of a child that occurred two years ago at the Econo Lodge.

Zachary Conway, 25, of 243 Auburn St., was indicted on the charge in September by a grand jury sitting in Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District.  The indictment was made public on Wednesday.

In the indictment the child is only identified as “S.H.,” and as being under the age of 13.  According to the indictment, on Oct. 7, 2019, Conway negligently supervised the child after placing her in a bathtub, causing her death by drowning.

On Oct. 18 Manchester police provided more information on the indictment. The case goes back to Oct. 7, 2019 at Econo Lodge, 75 West Hancock St., in which a 1-year-old child was found unresponsive in a hotel bathtub. At the time the child was in Conway’s care.

The child was taken to a local hospital but did not regain consciousness. The cause of death was determined to be drowning.

If convicted, Conway faces 10 to 30 years in prison.

⇒ Related story, Oct. 8, 2019: Econo Lodge: Police seek more information on circumstances around toddler’s death

The grand jury issued 228 indictments. Among those indicted were:   

• Rudey (cq) Alberto Lopez, 40, of 206 Central St., two counts of criminal threatening, domestic violence. On May 23, 2021, threatened “N.P.” while holding a knife and saying, “I will kill you,” according to the indictments.
• Douglas Audet, 26, of 142 Lowell St, criminal threatening and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  On July 10, 2021, Audet is accuse of being in possession of a gun while threatening “R.T.” with a knife.
• Joseph Becerril, 22, of 91 Kelly St., but detained in the Valley Street jail, three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, two charges of falsifying physical evidence, and three charges of possessing child sexual abuse images.  According to the indictments, Becerril sexually abused a 14-year-old girl when she was intoxicated and asleep by digitally penetrating her and performing oral sex on her.  He is accused of possessing videos of those assaults and then deleting them from his cell phone.
• Travis Bruce, 40, of 281 North State St., Concord, burglary.  On Nov. 22, 2019, Bruce allegedly burglarized Burger King at 737 Hooksett Road in Manchester.
• Seth Brunelle, 28, of 14 Baldwin Lane, Bedford, assault by prisoner.  On July 28, 2021, Brunelle punched correction officer Robert Bourgeois in the face, according to the indictment.
• Jonathan Carter, 26, of 1043 Somerville St., criminal threatening and two counts of reckless conduct.  According to the indictments, on July 23, 2021 Carter took a weed whacker, started it up and postured it towards “J.F.” placing him in fear of imminent bodily injury.  That same day, he allegedly drove a motor vehicle at a high rate of speed on Valley Street, through the intersection of Cypress and Valley streets where he almost struck Officer Michael Caron.  He also allegedly drove at a high rate of speed near the intersection of Taylor Street where he crossed a double yellow line into the oncoming lane and passed several vehicles.
• Pedro Castillo, 38, 135 Chestnut St., Apt. B, falsifying physical evidence.  On June 6, 2021, Castillo, believing police were investigating his assault on “D.T.,” deleted security footage of the interior of his apartment from “D.T.’s” cell phone, according to the indictment.
• Luis Castillo Hernandez, 29, criminal threatening. On Feb. 4, 2021, he is accused of brandishing a screwdriver and telling “M.B.,” his intimate partner, he was going to kill her sister.
• Hector Castro, 37, of 102 Conant St., Apt. 2, two counts of felonious sexual assault. Sometime between Jan. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2020, Castro allegedly rubbed his exposed penis on the back of an 11-year-old girl.
• Michael Cote, 40, of 111 Huse Road, second-degree assault and criminal threatening.  On Nov. 9, 2020, Cote is accused of pressing his forearm against “J.C.’s” neck, impeding her breathing.  That same day, while holding a baseball bat, he threatened her with, “I should kill you right now,” according to the indictment.
• Fernando Cruz, 24, 76 Cleveland St., first floor, eight counts of felonious sexual assault, interference with custody, second-degree assault, reckless conduct and criminal threatening.  The felonious sexual assault charges involve two girls, both 15 years of age.  He is accused of engaging in sex with one girl between June 30 and July 1, 2021, and the other between May 1 and May 31, 2020. The interference with child custody charge alleges he took a 15-year-old girl out of the state knowing she was a runaway.  On April 5, 2021, he is accused of punching “A.C.,” his intimate partner, in the face causing an orbital fracture, and acting recklessly when he caused a knife to come into close contact to her abdomen.  The criminal threatening charge alleges on June 28, 2021, he sent a video recording of himself holding a firearm outside “A.C.’s” residence and saying, “If you don’t come down here I am going to hurt you.”
• Emmanuel Deschryver, 19, 934 Valley St., burglary.  He is accused of breaking into the Jewett Street School on June 24, 2021.
• Sharon Halliburton Merritt, 56, of 145 Blaine St., criminal threatening. On Aug. 2, 2021, she is accused of running around a parking lot while holding a knife and then stabbing the door of “M.M.” and “K.M’s” residence.
• Kelly Hastings, 35, of 136 South Sugar Hill Road, Weare, reckless conduct.  On April 18, 2021, Hastings allegedly fired a handgun in the direction of a residence on South Sugar Hill Road.
• Isaac Landry, 21, of 118 West Merrimack St., criminal mischief.  On Aug. 16, 2021, while in a holding cell at the Manchester Police Department, Landry is accused of breaking the sprinkler head, setting off the sprinkler system and causing more than $1,500 in damage.
• Brian LaPointe, 32, of 415 Granite St., second-degree assault.  On July 16, 2021, LaPointe is accused of repeatedly punching and kicking “T.C.,” an intimate partner, in the face and torso while she was on the ground, bruising her face, chest and torso.  He knew at the time she had an eating disorder and weighed about 100 pounds, according to the indictment.
• William Lucchesi, 42, of 404 Notre Dames Ave, criminal mischief.  Lucchesi is accused of spray-painting a stationary railroad car causing more than $1,500 in damage.
• Jeremy Mastro, 36, of 159 South Main St., two counts of burglary; receiving stolen property; armed career criminal; theft by unauthorized taking, two counts; felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, and two counts of falsifying physical evidence.  The charges stem from two different incidents.  On June 16, 2021, Mastro is accused of breaking into the home of “P.O.” and “J.S.” for the purpose to commit theft.  That date he is also charged with receiving stolen property including a Social Security card, bank check and cell phone.

Six days later, on June 22, 2021, he is accused of burglarizing the residence of “D.C.” and “K.P.’s;” stealing property worth more than $1,500 from their home; disconnecting the power source to a first-floor surveillance camera; being in possession of a Springfield Armory XD40 Mod 2 handgun.  He was charged as an armed career criminal, having been convicted of three or more felonies.

• Ernest Mateo, 31, of 356 Manchester St., criminal mischief, criminal threatening, robbery, placement of simulated explosives and false report of explosives. On Nov. 8, 2020, Mateo is accused of using a metal rod to damaged padded walls in a room at the Elliot Hospital causing more than $1,500 in damage.  He also allegedly wielded a sharp object in each hand and said to “M.D.,” “Come on in and see what happens.”

On May 29,2021, he is accused of using force on “A.M.” while committing a theft. On June 9, 2021, he allegedly placed a fake explosive in a place and then reported it to police.

• Erizachart Mejias-Navarro, 25, of 457 Maple St., Apt. 2, reckless conduct and simple assault, both domestic-related.  According to the indictments, on Jan. 18, 2021, Mejias-Navarro drove a motor vehicle in such a manner as to strike “P.M.,” an intimate partner, who sustained an ankle injury.
• Chaszley Mena, 23, of 213 Silver St., Apt. 1, Alessandra Muniz, 21, of 284 Lowell St., and Yohanni Nzomararamwe, 23, of 405 Manchester St., Apt. 9, was each indicted on one count of riot.  On April 28,2021, a fight broke out among a crowd of people near 540 N. Commercial Street.  After the fight, Curtis Massey allegedly drove a car through the crowd, striking people.  Massey was charged with three counts of reckless conduct.  Later, after driving from the scene, Massey was shot three times.  No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

The riot indictments allege Nzomararamwe, Muniz, Mena and a fourth man, Alex Wilks, 21, were together for the purpose of engaging in tumultuous conduct and as a result Massey, who is only identified by his initials in the indictments, suffered physical injury.

• Amanda Montplaisir, 34, whose address is listed as the homeless shelter at 199 Manchester St., first-degree assault , second-degree assault, reckless conduct and falsifying physical evidence.  On Jan. 7, 2021, she is accused of stabbing “C.A.” in the neck with a sharp instrument and then discarding her blood-stained jacket after a 911 call was made to report the incident.
• Michael Neacy, 36, of 57 Barrett St., first- and second-degree assault.  On July 9, 2021, Neacy is accused of punching “N.W.” in the face causing him to fall backward into the street, causing a cut to the back of his head.
• Thomas Newell, 31, of 128 Mammoth Road, Apt. 29, three counts of felonious sexual assault.  Between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009, in Bedford, Newell allegedly rubbed his penis through clothing on the body of “D.D.,” who was 6 to 7 years old.
• Derek Parents, 41, of 78 Candia Road, computer services use prohibited and witness tampering.  Between March 1, 2021 and April 30, 2021, Parents allegedly used an internet service in an attempt to solicit a 15-year-old to engage in fellatio with him.  The witness tampering charge alleges he asked the teen in person and by text not to tell anyone what he had done.
• Kevin Prystas, 38, of 669 Summer St., reckless conduct and witness tampering.  On July 17, 2021, Prystas is accused of throwing a loaded handgun, hitting “H.B.” in the elbow. He also allegedly called “C.Y.” and told her not to say anything that would incriminate him.
• Steven Smith, 30, of 373 South Willow St., two counts of reckless conduct; two charges of conduct after an accident; two counts first-degree assault, and one simple assault charge.  According to the indictments, on May 13, 2021, Smith drove his vehicle erratically toward “A.E.’s” vehicle, causing “A.E.” to crash into a pole.  Smith also is accused of driving his vehicle into “K.C.” who was on a motorcycle, striking him in the leg and causing him to fall off the motorcycle.  Smith is accused of fleeing the scene and, once police caught up to him, kicking Officer Justin Gaudreault in the wrist.
• James Souza, 36, of 29 Nutting St., Apt. 3, Fitchburg, Mass. reckless conduct.  On Aug. 17, 2021 in Weare, Souza allegedly swerved his vehicle toward “R.G.”
• Christina Stratton, 32, of 576 Montgomery St., receiving stolen property and possession of crack cocaine.  On April 13, 2021, Stratton allegedly was in possession of a 2017 Chevrolet Trax reported stolen by “C.K.”
• David Sturgeon, 61, of 336 Amherst St., Apt. 1, criminal threatening, domestic-related. He allegedly threatened “H.L.” with a knife.
• David Taluva, 25, of 236 Douglas St., Apt. 9, criminal threatening.  On Dec. 28, 2019, Taluva held a knife above his head and pointed it toward his brother.
• Demetrius Taylor, 27, of 49 Burgess Drive, Litchfield, criminal threatening and criminal mischief.  On  June 23, 2021 in Manchester, Taylor is accused of getting out of his vehicle and pointing a firearm at “J.P.”  According to the indictment, on June 24 he used liquids to damage an intimate partner’s property.
• Robert Yell, 32, of 522 Granite St., first-degree assault, felon in possession with a dangerous weapon and possession of fentanyl.  On June 6, 2021, yell is accused of cutting “H.C.’s” fingers with a knife.
• John Youngman, 22, of 100 Union St., reckless conduct and criminal threatening.  On Oct. 4, 2020, Youngman threw a knife at “O.F.” and plunged a knife into a bedroom door while “O.F.” was watching.