Local News
Landlord charged with threatening his tenants
SALEM — One day after his property manager was arrested on charges that he assaulted and threatened a tenant with two pit bull dogs, the owner of several Salem rooming houses was charged with threatening to kill two other tenants last month.
Stephen Morris, 51, of 84 Ipswich Road, Boxford, is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 21 on two counts of threats to commit murder.
The complaint was issued against Morris yesterday by a Salem District Court clerk, two days after Morris failed to show up at a clerk magistrate's hearing on the complaint.
According to court papers, two tenants in a rooming house apartment at 179 Boston St., got a call from Morris on the afternoon of Nov. 23.
A man and woman told police that Morris had called the woman's cell phone and told her that he would kill both of them if they did not leave, according to a police report.
The woman said that just prior to the call, property manager Shawn Ford had cut the cable television line to their apartment and assaulted them, according to a police report.
The couple acknowledged that they were behind on their rent but said they were now in fear of their landlord, the police report said.
Police sought a criminal complaint against Morris and advised the couple that they could do the same against Ford if they chose.
Morris asked for a show-cause hearing before a clerk magistrate. But on Monday, he sent Shawn Ford, his property manager, to the hearing. A clerk said she would not hear from Ford, since he was not directly involved in the alleged incident and is not an attorney.
Ford, meanwhile, was arrested Tuesday after a tenant at a different Morris property, 315-317 Essex St., reported being punched by Ford and threatened by two pit bull dogs Ford brought along.
Salem police Lt. Conrad Prosniewski said police have received prior complaints from tenants about disputes with Morris, who also owns a property at 43 Boston St. in addition to the other two rooming houses.
Efforts to reach Morris yesterday afternoon were unsuccessful.
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