By Julie Manganis
SALEM — Marc Arsenault is hardly the first father to dislike a boy his daughter brought home.
But Salem police say he went too far when he tried to run down the boy during an argument Monday morning on Aborn Street.
Arsenault, 45, of 9 Abbot St., Salem, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon — one of them his 1995 Chevy van — during his arraignment in Salem District Court.
After hearing the allegations against Arsenault — and the fact that he's already on pretrial probation for hitting two other daughters — Judge Robert Cornetta increased Arsenault's bail from the $1,000 he posted after his arrest to $3,500. Arsenault was handcuffed by court officers and led away.
It was just after 10 a.m. when police were called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident. Anthony Paolucci told police he was outside waiting for his girlfriend, Arsenault's daughter. Arsenault confronted Paolucci, who admitted to police that he spit on Arsenault's van.
Arsenault allegedly responded by hitting the teen with a crutch. Then he drove away. A few moments later, however, Arsenault spotted the teen again. This time, there was also a witness watching.
Police say Arsenault drove slowly at the boyfriend, hitting him and knocking him onto the hood and then to the ground. He then left. Paolucci was not injured.
Police found the van parked on Traders Way, behind a bank. As it was being towed for being parked illegally, Arsenault came out of a business and was arrested.
In March, Arsenault was given a general continuance and placed on pretrial probation on four counts of domestic assault and battery involving two other daughters.
In that incident, in August 2007, Arsenault and one of his teenage daughters got into an argument over her wanting to light a candle in her bedroom. The fight escalated, and Arsenault allegedly grabbed one girl's ear, nearly pulling out an earring, then slapped and punched another daughter.
Prosecutors had agreed to a general continuance of the charges if Arsenault would agree to report to a probation officer and take part in anger management classes. But a probation officer said yesterday in court that Arsenault had not taken any classes or reported to probation.
Because of that, Cornetta yesterday revoked the deal and ordered that the older case also be put back on the docket for trial.
Arsenault is due back in court on June 9.
