A late-night meltdown at a local mental health facility turned into a manhunt after a homeless man busted out a door and window, fled the scene, returned to threaten to kill staff, and then hid in an abandoned house. All this unfolded in a chaotic few hours at the Step Wellness Center on Grant Street — and it wasn’t even the only facility to get hit that night.
Just before 11 p.m., a 911 caller reported a man screaming and yelling before smashing his way out of the Step Wellness Center. By the time police arrived, the suspect had vanished, leaving broken glass and shaken staff behind. Employees from the center helped officers search the building to make sure everyone was safe.
But just two hours later, things escalated.
He Came Back Swinging
The same man returned — now even angrier — and threatened to kill the workers who were still on-site trying to board up the damage. After issuing the threats, he once again ran off — this time into a nearby abandoned house.
Police quickly tracked him down and arrested Anthony Frazier, a man well-known to local law enforcement. Frazier was charged with aggravated menacing, obstructing official business, probation violation, and escape.
Turns out, Frazier already had an escape conviction under his belt from April — after violating probation tied to a 2023 attempted theft case.
He was hauled into Portsmouth Municipal Court, where he was declared indigent and given a public defender. The court waived his public defender fee, and he’s scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on June 12.
But the Chaos Didn’t End There…
By 8 a.m. the next morning, another incident went down — this time at a rehab facility on Court Street. Witnesses say a former client broke in and refused to leave. Fortunately, security got him out before police arrived.
Rising Tensions at Recovery Centers
These back-to-back disturbances raise concerns about security at Portsmouth’s wellness and recovery facilities — especially as mental health and homelessness collide on city streets.
Stay tuned — with the summer heating up, so are the streets of Portsmouth.
