Arrests Over Holiday Weekend Include Assault, Animal Cruelty

Middletown police reported the arrests of nine individuals over the three-day Labor Day holiday weekend on charges including disorderly conduct, marijuana possession, domestic assault, shoplifting, animal cruelty, and writing bad checks.

• Middletown police arrested Vincent Slaninka Jr., 29, of 8 Halsey Ave., Middletown, on a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault shortly after midnight Saturday, Sept. 5, 2010 for an alleged incident involving a physical fight with his father the night prior. The father and home-owner told police that his son started a physical altercation with him after he confronted his son over suspected drug use. The father had another woman at the house call police because he did not want to harm his son, he told police. The son fled the scene Friday night but when he returned and went to bed around midnight Saturday, the father again called the police, who then proceeded to arrest him.

• David Allan Hurd, 51, of 22 True Road, Apt. #43, Meredith, NH, was arrested Sunday around 4 am and charged with alleged domestic assault, a misdemeanor, after police responded to a 911 hang-up from the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge at 351 West Main Road. Police reported they had responded to the couple's hotel room twice that day for a domestic dispute. Police who arrived at the scene reported they saw Hurd arguing with the victim, a 59-year old Laconia, NH resident, through an open screen door on the balcony.

• Zachary W. McGaw, 24, of 16 Bucks Way, Tiverton, was arrested Friday around 8 pm on a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting at Sandy's Liquors at 717 Aquidneck Avenue. According to police reports, McGaw was caught on surveillance tape putting two 12-ounce bottles of Magic Hat beer in his pants.

• On Friday around 5 pm, Middletown police arrested Danielle Lynn Horkey, 25, of 18 Jean Terrace, Middletown, at her home on an outstanding warrant for writing fraudulent checks under $1,000, according to police reports.

• Cornell Lighty, 20, of 210 Rogers Lane, Middletown, was arrested on allegations of domestic assault, violating a no-contact order and unnecessary cruelty to animals, all misdemeanors, after police responded to a call at his address Friday night around 10:30 pm. Upon arrival police reportedly spoke with residents at the same address who alleged that Lightly was seen arguing with the 18-year female victim and that when they intervened, she fled outside, Lightly threw a cat at the wall, then followed her outside and began choking her. The other residents told police that they physically removed Lighty from the victim and he began challenging them to fight when police arrived. The victim reportedly told police she was not injured and refused medical treatment by EMTs that arrived on scene. Lightly was arraigned Saturday morning by a Justice of the Peace.

• On Friday around 8 pm near Purgatory Road and Wave Avenue, police arrested Antonio Leonetti, 29, of 24 Mark St., Plantsville, CT, Tyrone J. Correa, 30, of 27 S. Winds Essex, CT, and Michael Edwin Calvanese, 24, of 58 Harvest Lane, Plantsville, CT, each on misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges, after witnesses at the Inn at Newport Beach alleged that the men were in the road yelling and throwing some liquid at passing cars, according to police reports. Another witness reportedly also saw one of the men allegedly urinate in the road. The three men were held overnight until their arraignment before a Justice of the Peace Saturday morning.