Rowley man charged with damaging Port restaurant

Nov. 8—NEWBURYPORT — As Black Cow patrons were enjoying dinner Thursday night, a Rowley man broke into the Merrimack Street restaurant's office and mechanical room and tore them apart, police said.

Landis Tanger, 42, was arrested a short time later and changed with vandalizing property and nighttime breaking and entering of a building for a felony.

At Tanger's arraignment the next morning in Newburyport District Court, Judge James LaMothe ordered him held on $5,000 cash bail.

But because Tanger faces charges in three other district courts — Salem, Gloucester and Ipswich — for similar offenses, LaMonthe revoked his release and ordered him detained. He is due back in court Nov. 29 for a pretrial heating.

Tanger was due in Ipswich District Court the day he allegedly vandalized the Black Cow, according to an Essex County prosecutor.

Tanger will also likely face charges for allegedly breaking into the The Salvation Army's food pantry and office on Water Street about two hours before his arrest, the prosecutor said.

Police said that about 7 p.m. Thursday, Black Cow owner Joseph Leone discovered the employee office and mechanical room in disarray. He quickly checked his security camera footage and found Tanger in the area.

"While his staff was unaware that an individual had unknowingly made it upstairs to the employee area, they did inform Mr. Leone that the involved individual had left a note at the hostess station requesting to personally meet with Mr. Leone at 20:30 hours, and addressed him by name, prompting him (Leone) to call police," Officer Joshua Tierney wrote in his report.

During his time upstairs, Tanger unscrewed and opened electrical and HVAC panels, dismantled a pump, turned off assorted electrical switches and circuit breakers, and hung items in "peculiar places." He then climbed onto the roof and tampered with the HVAC system there, all while drinking "beverages."

"Mr. Leone was extremely concerned about damage or potential damage, noticing the possibility of financially crippling damage, and the safety of individuals inside had Mr. Tanger's activities been able to shut down power," Tierney wrote in his report. He said Tanger was at the Black Cow for about an hour.

Tierney checked the security camera footage and realized it was the same person who visited the police station about 5 p.m. While at the police station, Tanger asked for help finding a homeless shelter in the area.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Tierney and Officer John Gavin responded to The Salvation Army, where Tanger became "difficult and argumentative with staff."

Staff members, who assumed that Tanger left after the altercation, found him rummaging through the food pantry and an office. By the time Gavin and Tierney made it to The Salvation Army, Tanger had left.

"It was later found that Mr. Tanger had disrupted the computer electrical wires in the office, stole a small telephone connector piece, an orange power strip, and paper cards attached to the fire extinguishers," Tierney wrote in his report.

Prior to fleeing, witnesses spotted Tanger peering into parked cars and opening a cooler in the rear of a Salvation Army employee's truck, Tierney added.

Tanger was also seen looking at cars parked at Michael's Harborside restaurant, and cars and boats at the Windward Yacht Club. It was in a boatyard that Tanger was eventually arrested by police.

Back at the police station for a second time that evening — but this time in custody — Tanger told police he was homeless and came to Newburyport looking for housing.

"Mr. Tanger admitted to entering the Black Cow restaurant, stating he was looking for assistance from the owner, leaving a note to speak with him. Mr. Tanger stated he was formerly employed by the Black Cow restaurant at their Hamilton location," Tierney wrote in his report, adding that Tanger denied damaging the restaurant.

Tierney soon learned that Tanger had 11 entries in his criminal record, including eight open cases in three courts and involving four police departments — all from this year. The charges include larceny, trespassing, vandalizing property and tampering with a fire call box, he wrote.

Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.