Tewksbury man held in girlfriend’s death
TEWKSBURY — A Tewksbury man was ordered held without bail Monday in connection with the death of his girlfriend, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
Eric Griffin, who turns 40 today, reported to police about 8 a.m. Sunday that his girlfriend, Jennifer Kalicki, 39, was unresponsive and cold to the touch, according to a police report.
Kalicki was pronounced dead in an apartment she shared with the defendant, according to a police report viewed in court.
Griffin was charged with one count of assault and battery on a family or household member. A spokesman for District Attorney Marian Ryan said the charges could be updated as the investigation continues.
Police found Kalicki with a bump and cut on her forehead, a red indentation near her left temple, red marks on both sides of her neck and on her upper chest, and bruising on the outside of her right hand, according to a police report.
An investigation by Tewksbury Police and the Massachusetts State Police Homicide Unit revealed that Kalicki had texted Griffin’s sister the day before she was found dead. Between 8:35 a.m. and 10:42 a.m. Saturday, Kalicki said via text that Griffin was angry and abused her, the police report states.
“Please help me, he’s losing it,” she texted Griffin’s sister, according to the police report. Kalicki said he “had me pinned down, choking me, tossing me onto the ground,” according to the police report.
The altercation between the defendant and Kalicki began on Friday and continued into Saturday, police said.
Griffin admitted to police that he argued with Kalicki, but denied causing her injuries, according to the report. He said the victim caused the injuries to herself, police reported, but her injuries were not consistent with Griffin’s explanation.
Wiseman cited Griffin’s criminal record during the arraignment, including two prior restraining orders, a previous domestic violence case involving Kalicki, which was dismissed Sept. 9, and multiple defaults and violations of probation.
Griffin is due back in court Friday for a pretrial hearing in his drug case and for a dangerousness hearing in the Kalicki case.