Man wanted person attacked, police say

MIDDLETOWN — A Westbrook man is being held in detention after allegedly asking an acquaintance to throw acid in a person’s face for $10,000 in cash, according to court records.

Middletown police were called to a city home Sept. 5 at about 5 p.m. about a domestic violence complaint in which a complainant said Luis M. TapiaTapia had allegedly called a person’s cellphone “thousands of times” over the past two months asking the person to harm an individual, according to an arrest warrant.

On Sept. 5, the complainant said that Tapia-Tapia made an urgent request to “get the job done” that day, the warrant said.

Authorities said the suspect had directed the individual to throw acid on the person’s face, break their wrists, and slash their face for $10,000 plus the price of equipment, court documents say.

Police said there was a recording of the conversation, and the victim later identified the voice as the suspect’s. Tapia-Tapia, of Boston Post Road, Westbrook, had three no-contact orders in force, police said.

Upon interview, TapiaTapia told detectives he made the calls, however, “it was meant to be a joke,” and the two men were joking around on the phone, the report said.

On the day of the alleged phone call, officers said there was a child at home.

When he was arrested, authorities said, TapiaTapia had $39,968 in cash in the center console of his car.

He was charged with risk of injury to a child, inciting injury, first-degree assault, and three counts of violation of probation, records show. Tapia-Tapia is being held in lieu of a $150,000 bond and is expected back in Superior Court at Middletown Oct. 5.

Tapia-Tapia