The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Police: Teens mishear sex screams, beat man

Income tax revenues falling short
11/22/09
Prepare a Black Friday game plan
11/22/09
City’s holiday season starts today
11/22/09
Holiday bustle comes to campus
11/22/09
Who wants to be superintendent? Board won't say
11/22/09
> More headlines

By DAVE COLLINS, The Associated Press Updated 9:02 PM Thursday, July 2, 2009

HARTFORD, Conn. — A 16-year-old girl thought she heard her mother being assaulted by her boyfriend and rounded up some friends who beat him up, only to learn later that the couple actually were having sex, the woman and police said.

The girl misinterpreted the woman's amorous screams, and she and four other teens went to the woman's bedroom in the Torrington home on June 6, police Lt. Bruce Whiteley said Thursday. One of the teens beat the 25-year-old man with a bat and others punched him, police said. Hesuffered a black eye and several bruises.

The girl, two 17-year-old boys and Dilyen Langdeau, 19, of Torrington, were arrested Tuesday night and arraigned in Bantam Superior Court on Wednesday. Langdeau was charged with assault and conspiracy; the teens face similar counts. The fifth teenager was not charged.

A judge sealed the police report. The names of the girl and the two boys were not released because of their ages.

The 34-year-old woman, Melanie Arnold, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the girl is her daughter. Arnold denied she was screaming, and said her daughter thought she heard a slap and believed an assault was happening.

"Instead of asking what was going on, they assumed and took matters into their own hands," Arnold said. "Now they have to learn a lesson."

The teens knocked on the bedroom door and Arnold opened it, according to the couple, who recently broke up.

The teens rushed into the room and the man, Roger Swanson, said he didn't have a chance to explain himself. He said he tried to get away, but the teens chased him down and started beating him in the house.

He said he knelt down over a chair and tried to protect his face, but got hit in the eye and in the back. He said Arnold covered his back to try to protect him, but the teen with the bat started hitting him in the legs. Then the youths left.

"What if they fight someone else and those guys don't walk away? What if they kill somebody?" he said. "Then they're going to spend the rest of their lives in jail. These kids need to learn, go through the court system and see if you do something to somebody, you see what happens."

___

July 03, 2009 12:37 AM EDT

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

Never question why someone is sleeping with someone else when you know the answer isn't love. Their answer will never be anything you want to hear and/or picture. What a bunch of stupid kids.

Christy
2:02 PM, 7/3/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Get over yourself. It happens all the time. Eh hem. Jealous, aren't ya? lol. Don't judge.

Get a Life
10:02 AM, 7/3/2009

REPORT ABUSE

This mother is an idiot in more ways than one...

Jenny
9:45 AM, 7/3/2009

REPORT ABUSE

ok more than likley the mom was getting assaulted and like most stupid women she would rather her daughter spend time in jail than her young boy-friend

whit
1:57 AM, 7/3/2009

REPORT ABUSE

yeah, kinda odd. Why is a 25 year old screwing a 34 year old? unless she's a babe, yuck. and i'm guessing these people are some trashy mfers.

34
11:13 PM, 7/2/2009

REPORT ABUSE

There is 1 additional comment

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.