Share and Follow
Inset: Harrison Coleman (Androscoggin County Jail). Background: The Walmart where Harrison allegedly forced his ex-girlfriend to steal for him (Google Maps).
A 50-year-old man from Maine faces serious accusations after allegedly kidnapping his former partner and coercing her to shoplift from a nearby Walmart under threat of violence. This week, authorities apprehended Harrison Coleman, charging him with kidnapping, domestic violence assault, and making criminal threats, as stated by local officials.
The Auburn Police Department released a statement detailing the incident, which began when a Walmart Super Store employee approached an officer managing security at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29. The employee was concerned about a distressed 30-year-old woman inside the store.
The employee informed the officer that the woman claimed she was being threatened. The officer promptly found the woman, who recounted that she had been forcibly taken in a vehicle to the store. She identified her captor as Coleman, her ex-boyfriend, and reported that he had intimidated her into stealing for him.
In response, additional officers arrived at the scene and discovered Coleman in a vehicle parked just outside the Walmart, situated around 30 miles north of Portland, Maine.
Several additional officers responded to the store, where they located Coleman waiting in a vehicle parked just outside the Walmart, which is 30 miles north of Portland, Maine.
“The preliminary investigation indicates that Coleman had physically assaulted the victim, forced her into his vehicle, and driven her to Walmart,” the release states. “Once at the store, Coleman allegedly instructed the victim to steal specific items and threatened to kill her if she did not comply. The victim approached Walmart employees inside the store, who quickly contacted the on-duty officer stationed in the parking lot.”
Investigators said several witnesses in the store corroborated the victim”s claims.
“The quick actions of Walmart employees and the close proximity of the initial responding officer ensured this victim’s safety and led to the swift arrest of the suspect,” Auburn Deputy Chief of Police Tim Cougle said in a statement following the arrest.
Coleman was placed under arrest and processed at the Androscoggin County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond. It was not immediately clear when Coleman was scheduled to make his initial appearance in court.