METHUEN, MASS. (WHDH) - A quick-thinking shopper thwarted an assault at a busy shopping plaza in Methuen, stopping a man who police say had attacked a woman in a vehicle.
Police say the woman was in her car with the door closed at the Merrimack Plaza on Haverhill street just before 8 p.m. on Friday night when a man forced his way into her vehicle, grabbed her by the throat, and attacked her.
The woman screamed and honked the horn, getting the attention of another shopper who had just pulled into a parking space nearby.
“Thank God the gentleman was there to assist,” said Methuen police Captain Kristopher McCarthy. “It was very brave. We don’t recommend people taking action like that, but we were glad he took the action he did to place this man into custody.”
When police arrived, they say that man was chasing the suspect across Haverhill Street, but he stopped pursuing the suspect when the man reached for something in his waistband.
Police took over the pursuit and pinned the suspect in a backyard on Hobson Street. The suspect, identified as Rafael Rosario, a 53-year-old man from Lawrence, is facing several charges including attempted carjacking, strangulation, and attempted kidnapping.
The victim was not seriously hurt in the incident.
Police say the incident is a reminder to always keep an eye on what’s happening around you.
“We just ask people to be aware of your surroundings,” McCarthy said. “This plaza is very busy, there were people around when this occurred; we ask people to be aware of their surroundings at all times.”
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