TYNGSBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - Police are searching for a man wanted in connection with an armed home invasion and stabbing in Tyngsborough on Thursday night that authorities say occurred when a sneaker sale went wrong.
Officers responding to a report of a stabbing on Frost Road just after 8 p.m. learned a 17-year-old had been taken to an area hospital after suffering stab wounds to his abdomen, according to the Tyngsborough Police Department.
After conducting an on-scene investigation, officers identified the suspect as 19-year-old Dequan Hagen, of Nashua, New Hampshire, police said.
Hagen had traveled to the victim’s residence to purchase a pair of sneakers but an altercation began when he allegedly attempted to flee the home without paying.
Officers determined that Hagen later returned to the home with a knife, forced his way in, and stabbed the victim after a trail of blood was said to be found on the floor near a damaged garage.
“I want to reassure Tyngsborough residents that this was not a random crime,” Tyngsborough Police Chief Richard Howe said. “We have no reason to believe that the public is in danger, and we are working aggressively with our law enforcement partners in the area to locate and arrest this suspect as soon as possible.”
The victim was later flown to a Boston hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition.
Hagen is wanted on charges including armed robbery, home invasion, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, and malicious destruction of property.
Anyone with information on Hagen’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Tyngsborough Police Department.
The incident remains under investigation.
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