Vigilante ‘bat man’ charged after using baseball bat to threaten, detain trio at Salem dumpster

SALEM, NH – Salem Police arrested Raymond Hileman, 50, at the Brook Village West apartments on Cluff Crossing Road Sunday night, after he allegedly confronted three men and threatened them with a baseball bat.

According to Salem Police Capt. Jason Smith, Hileman cornered the three men outside the dumpsters for the apartment building because he believed the men were dumping illegally.

Smith said the men included one resident and two family members, who were helping the resident clean his apartment and throw away a sofa.

“He allegedly swung the bat at the men, verbally threatened them, struck their U-Haul truck with the bat, damaging the truck, and held them there against their will by threat of violence, demanding they remove a sofa they threw in the umpster,” Smith said.

One of the men managed to get away and called the police. After arriving and arresting Hileman at about 11:40 p.m., police charged Hileman with three counts of felony criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, three counts of felony criminal restraint and one count of criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

Smith said the victims were not, in fact, dumping anything illegally, as Hileman believed.

He said there is no indication in the report that drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.

“I would just encourage people to call the police if they believe a law is being broken.  It would be wise to not insert yourself into a situation, but rather be a witness and allow the police to handle the problem,” Smith said.

Hileman was processed at the Salem Police Department and released on personal recognizance bail. A court date will be determined later for his arraignment at Rockingham County Superior Court.