AUBURN –– An Oxford shoplifting incident escalated into a high-speed pursuit that ended with a crash and the arrest of an 18-year-old suspect on Sunday, Nov. 5.
Oxford Police Department officers were dispatched to Walmart for a reported shoplifting, where the suspect, later identified as Roman Heck of Southbridge, brandished a knife when confronted by store employees.
As officers arrived, Heck fled in his vehicle toward Auburn.
The chase concluded on Route 20 in Auburn, where Heck crashed his vehicle and continued to flee on foot.
Officers from Auburn, Oxford, Charlton, and the Massachusetts State Police rapidly cordoned off the area.
Heck was located after a brief search.
Due to the uncertainty of whether he was still armed, officers carefully approached and instructed him to surrender.
He complied and was apprehended without further incident.
Heck is now in custody with the Oxford Police Department as the investigation continues.
The cooperative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies were credited for the swift resolution of this potentially dangerous situation.
