Lynn fireman arrested for beating girlfriend

LYNN – A firefighter from Lynn’s Boston Street firehouse was arrested Tuesday for allegedly beating his girlfriend and her brother. And now his residency has been called into question.Michael Ortiz, 44, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and battery shortly after 7 a.m. at his girlfriend’s 150 Bellevue Road home.Ortiz told police the Bellevue Road address was his residence, but his girlfriend’s conflicting statements in an arrest report call his residency into question.The girlfriend, 28-year-old Kathryn Howard, “believes that (Ortiz) lives with his father in Newton,” a police report said. “She further went on to say that she believes that Michael is just using her to obtain residency to keep his job.”The city of Lynn requires all municipal employees to reside within city limits, except for school teachers, according to James Lamanna of the city’s Residency Compliance Commission.According to the police report, Howard lives with her parents and brother. The police report stated the father previously signed a document indicating that Ortiz lived with them “so he could maintain his employment.””Once the letter was signed, Michael basically disappeared,” the police report said.Police arrived at the Bellevue Road home Tuesday to find Howard’s brother, Paul Howard, 23, sitting in the driveway with extensive red marks on his face after Ortiz allegedly struck him numerous times. Before Howard was hit, he said he was sitting on the front porch with his mother when they allegedly heard his 9-year-old niece screaming, “Stop! Leave Mom alone!”Howard walked upstairs and confronted Ortiz, who was on a cell phone. Ortiz allegedly became defensive and “brutally” attacked Howard, punching him in the face several times and chocking him on a couch, police said.Officers said they walked upstairs and found Kathryn Howard lying on her bedroom floor “screaming and crying” when they arrived.Police said Howard was taking a shower when Ortiz arrived at her house unexpectedly. He went into the bathroom and accused her of dating another man, police said.”He forcibly ripped her out of the shower and began to shake her,” a police report said.As he was allegedly shaking her back and forth he grabbed her cell phone and began looking through the numbers to see if Howard called the man Ortiz suspected she was seeing, police said.She said Ortiz was angry with her for going out Monday night, even though he was “nowhere to be found,” a police report said.Lamanna said in a phone interview Tuesday that Ortiz and six other Lynn firefighters were previously subject of an investigation into their residency.Ortiz admitted to the Residency Compliance Commission just over six months ago that he had been living in Medford, according to Lamanna.Lamanna said Ortiz and the six other firefighters were asked to transfer to other departments or to move within Lynn city limits in 180 days. He said they were given 90 days to sign a sale or rental agreement and 90 days to move into the new residence.Of the six firefighters, five chose to move into Lynn while one, William Foglietta, opted to transfer to another fire department, Lamanna said.Lamanna said the commission was “skeptical” of Ortiz after he claimed to have moved back to Lynn, partially because he was only renting a home and never bought one. He said Ortiz’ name was nowhere to be found when searched through property records online.While a hearing into Ortiz’ residency had not been scheduled as of Tuesday, Lamanna said it could happen soon given Ortiz’ arrest.”This evidence may be enough for a hearing for termination,” Lamanna said.Lynn Acting Fire Chief James Carritte did not return a call for comment Tuesday evening.