Two Massachusetts residents were arrested on charges of theft and assault after an incident at the Merrimack Premium Outlets in New Hampshire this past Saturday. According to reports from NBC Boston, Maryah Williams of Boston and Lasonia Watler of Brockton were apprehended by police around 3:45 p.m. after officers responded to a robbery in progress at the Polo outlet.
The confrontation escalated quickly when officers attempted to detain the suspects, who then began to resist. Police allege that Williams kicked an officer in the stomach and managed to spray pepper spray into his eyes, causing discomfort to other officers and customers present. As reported by Boston 25 News, the pepper spray incident filled the store, leading to a chaotic scene that disrupted the shopping environment.
The suspects were subsequently taken into custody, although they continued to resist and allegedly yelled obscenities and racially insensitive remarks. Both Williams and Watler are now facing multiple charges. Williams is charged with felony offenses including receiving stolen property, attempted second-degree assault, and falsifying physical evidence. She is also facing misdemeanor charges for simple assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and possession of theft detection device removal tools. Watler's charges include a felony offense of receiving stolen property and misdemeanor offenses such as resisting arrest or detention, attempted simple assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct, and possession of theft detection device removal tools, according to WCVB.
Both suspects are scheduled to appear in Merrimack District Court on Monday. The officers involved in the incident were evaluated and treated by Merrimack Fire and EMS. Additionally, other shoppers who were exposed to the pepper spray were offered and refused medical treatment. The incident caused a significant disruption at the Merrimack Premium Outlets, which are a popular shopping destination.
