Auburn, MA: Armed robbery suspect ends up in pond after leading police on foot chase – NBC Boston

A man accused of attempting to rob a mall store at knifepoint in Auburn, Massachusetts last week led police on a foot chase that ended with the suspect ending up in a pond.

Officers responded around 6 p.m. Friday to a report that a man attempted to stab an employee with a knife after attempting to steal about $1,200 worth of perfume from Macy’s, Auburn police said.

When the employee tried to stop the suspect, 46-year-old Rafael Rios Candelaria, the police said he pulled out a knife and tried to stab the worker.

Due to an apparent increase in gang and gun violence in the city, police have been deploying more officers on weekends for several weeks.

Those extra patrols were deployed near the mall, according to police, and a foot chase with Candelaria ensued, during which the 46-year-old disappeared somewhere between the Auburn Library and the Auburn Fire Department.

Shortly thereafter, a Massachusetts State Police sniffer dog “washed” Candelaria into the pond behind the library, police said.

Authorities said Candelaria, of Worcester, was then surrounded by Auburn police and state police.

After swimming to the middle of the pond, Candelaria refused to surrender, police said. The state police sniffer dog was deployed, swam toward the suspect and brought him to the shore of Brotherton Way, where he was arrested, according to police.

Candelaria has an arrest warrant for theft over $1,200 and disorderly conduct related to a previous incident in the city, police said.

The 46-year-old was charged with armed robbery, theft over $1,200, disturbing the peace and disturbing the public peace. He was fined $15,040 and arraigned in Worcester District Court.