More charges possible in Acton landlord-tenant altercation

ACTON - More charges are possible in an Acton landlord dispute that turned violent on Monday night.

York County Sheriff Bill King said the investigation into the incident in which a tenant's hip was broken after she was run over by a tractor is ongoing, however he wouldn't be specific on what possible charges might be likely.

King also noted that while a weapon was mentioned in an earlier press release, that information had come from the individual who had reported the incident to authorities and was never confirmed.

Sheriff's deputies first learned of the dispute around 9:45 p.m. when they were called to Dennis Lane - which is off County Road - for a disturbance.

The caller reported hearing screaming and a tractor.

After a brief investigation deputies learned that two women had rented an apartment from Leslie Dennis, 64, and that he was in the process of evicting them.

Dennis had called YCSO earlier in the day on Monday to say they were digging up plants from the back yard. Deputies determined it was a civil issue and advised Dennis to pursue a civil avenue for redress.

King said on Wednesday that the plants belonged to the women, not Dennis.

"I guess he didn't want to have to fill any empty holes (they'd dug)," King said.

Later on Monday night one of the tenants decided to continue to dig up more plants with her adult son. This upset Dennis and he got on his tractor and starting driving toward them in a threatening manner, according to a York County Sheriff's Office press release sent on Tuesday.

The son then approached Dennis and struck him with a shovel prompting Dennis to allegedly strike the man with the tractor and run over a female tenant, breaking her hip.

The woman was transported to Southern Maine Health Care in Sanford for treatment. Her condition is unknown and can't be accessed by The Rochester Voice due to privacy laws.

Dennis was charged with aggravated assault, posted $500 bail and was released.

The man who is said to have hit Dennis with the shovel was not arrested, King said, adding that as of Wednesday, the women were still there in their apartment.

Dennis could face up to 10 years in state prison if convicted of aggravated assault.