Man accused of kidnapping ex-girlfriend, trying to force her to steal from Walmart
By Russ Reed
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AUBURN, Maine (WMTW) — A Maine man faces multiple charges after he was accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her if she did not steal items from the Walmart in Auburn for him.
Harrison Coleman, 50, of Lewiston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and transported to the Androscoggin County Jail, where police said he would be held without bail until he faced a judge.
The Auburn Police Department said investigators determined Coleman had assaulted his 30-year-old ex-girlfriend, forced her into his vehicle and drove her to the Walmart Supercenter on Mount Auburn Avenue.
According to police, Coleman reportedly told the woman to steal specific items from the store and threatened to kill her if she did not comply.
The woman told Walmart employees inside the store she had been threatened, and one of those employees approached an Auburn police officer who was working a security detail at the store at about 1:30 p.m.
The officer then spoke with the woman, who said she had been forced into a vehicle by Coleman and brought to the Walmart against her will. The woman also told the officer her ex-boyfriend had threatened her if she did not steal from the store for him.
Additional officers responded to the Walmart to assist with the investigation. Coleman was found waiting in a vehicle parked outside the store. Police said the officers were able to corroborate the woman’s account through an additional witness and they took Coleman into custody.
Coleman has been charged with kidnapping, domestic violence assault and domestic violence criminal threatening.
Auburn police said they continue to investigate the incident.
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