Domestic violence call leads to meth bust in Laconia

By GAIL OBER, LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — Police arrested a Fillmore Avenue felon early Monday morning after a domestic assault triggered an investigation that led them to find a loaded gun and a large amount of methamphetamine in his truck.

Capt. Matthew Canfield said that Timothy Raxter, 52, of 65 Fillmore Ave. originally came to the attention of police when a woman reported a domestic assault that had just occurred at her home on Church St.

Police said Raxter allegedly assaulted her and broke some of her assorted ceramic figurines just before midnight. He was charged with one count of simple assault and one count of criminal mischief (vandalism) and turned himself in to the police after they notified him at 1:55 a.m. He was released on $1,500 personal recognizance bail.

The alleged victim got a restraining order against Raxter, which eventually led to the information that there was a gun in his truck that was parked at a friend's house on Sheridan Street.

Canfield said police obtained a search warrant for his truck at approximately 5:35 a.m. and towed it to the Laconia Police station, where it was searched.

Inside a the middle of the seat in the cab was a large bag of crystal methamphetamine, said police, along with $6,500 in cash, 1,000 small plastic bags typically used for packaging drugs and a black scale. Police also found a load Hi Point .40 caliber handgun with a fully loaded magazine.

Raxter is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of deadly weapon and one count of being in possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.

He refused bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in the Belknap County Superior Court at 1 p.m. Tuesday.