A landlord helping a tenant get into her apartment after her boyfriend locked her out got pushed down a flight of stairs for his trouble.
Toby Briggs, 46, of 51 Wood Ave. Apt. 3L, the man accused of the attack, was arrested and charged with simple assault Sept. 6.
Officers Scott Breguet and Michael Velino arrived at the Wood Avenue apartment building at about 7:30 p.m., responding to a report of an assault. Upon arriving, they spoke with the landlord, Anthony Machado, who said his tenant, Denise Andre, approached him and asked for his help getting into her apartment, which Briggs had locked her out of after an argument.
Machado told the officers that he and Andre went upstairs to the apartment, where he unlocked both of the locks and opened the door for Andre. As he was doing so, Briggs reportedly ran out of a room, pushed at his face, and knocked him down the stairs. As he fell, Machado's son caught him, he said, according to Breguet's report. Breguet also noted a red mark on Machado's face.
When officers spoke with the couple, Briggs said he had thought he was being robbed when he pushed Machado. Briggs did not answer when Breguet asked why he'd decided to react by pushing his landlord down the stairs. Andre denied asking to be let in, but a witness to her conversation with Machado confirmed she had.
Breguet arrested Briggs, charging him with assault.
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