MANCHESTER, Vt. (NEWS10) — Three people were arrested after a retail theft at the Ralph Lauren Factory Store led to a brief foot chase and search in Manchester, Vermont. Jason Walker (45, Amsterdam), Aime Chabot (40, Schenectady), and Stephen Peterson (49, Halfmoon), each face charges.
Manchester Police say on Wednesday, around 4:30 p.m., they responded to a retail theft report at the Ralph Lauren Factory Store at 32 Depot Street. Police report that three people had stolen several items and fled the store on foot.
Police canvassed the area and found two suspects nearby. Police say a brief foot chase ensued with Chabot, and they utilized a K9 to find additional suspects in the Mountain View Terrace neighborhood.
Additional K9 units were brought in from the Winhall Police and Rescue Department, but they couldn’t find more suspects.
Later, around 8:30 p.m., a concerned citizen called Manchester Police claiming they saw someone leaving the woods in the area searched several hours later who was picked up by another car. Police found the car and say they determined the passenger had been involved in the theft earlier that day. The driver and passenger, identified as Walker and Peterson, were taken into custody.
Walker Charges:
- Grand larceny
- False information to law enforcement
- Fugitive from justice
Chabot Charges:
- Grand larceny
- False information to law enforcement
- Fugitive from justice
Peterson Charges:
- False information to law enforcement
- Accessory after the fact
All three were arrested, but the driver is not believed to be a part of the original theft. Police say a majority of the items stolen had been recovered. The Manchester Police Department was assisted on the scene by the Winhall Police and Rescue Department, Bennington County Sheriff’s Department, and the Northshire Rescue Squad.
