Salem Attempted Murder Suspect Indicted on 26 Charges

A Massachusetts man has been indicted on a slew of felonies for an attempted murder and kidnapping that occurred at the Park View Inn in Salem in November.

Walton F. Valentin, 30, of 20 Manning Road in Methuen, Mass., was indicted this month by grand juries in Rockingham Superior Court and Essex County (Mass.) Superior Court.

The New Hampshire indictments are for attempted murder, kidnapping, first degree assault, second degree assault and criminal threatening.

The Massachusetts indictments, according to the Eagle-Tribune, are breaking and entering with the intent to commit a felony, two counts of assault by means of a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and battery, assault and battery, stalking, kidnapping, and 13 counts of violation of a protective restraining order.

Around 7:09 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, Salem police responded to the Park View Inn on South Broadway for a report of a domestic disturbance involving a man armed with a handgun. The suspect had fled prior to police arrival by stealing the victim's minivan, and officers found the female victim with several severe head injuries. 

The victim told police the incident started in Lawrence, Mass., when the man — later identified as Valentin — jumped into her car and held a gun to her stomach and began threatening to kill her family back in the Dominican Republic. 

The victim reported that once they were in the room, the Valentin pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed. He then choked her and then struck her repeatedly over the head with the gun. 

After regaining consciousness, the victim called police. She was transported to Parkland Medical Center in Derry by the Salem Fire Department to receive treatment for her injuries. The stolen van was recovered in Andover, Mass.

Valentin was a fugitive until Nov. 14 when he was found hiding in the bathroom of a deli on Anderson Avenue in the Bronx section of New York City.