Suspect Accused Of Wilmington Carjacking Remains At Large

WILMINGTON, MA — The suspect accused of carjacking a vehicle Wednesday in Wilmington and then trying to hit a police car with the vehicle remained at large Thursday after being pursued by police into Lowell and then disappearing in or near the Merrimack River, the Wilmington Police Department said.

The Lowell Police Department was one of several public safety agencies involved in the search for the suspect, and that department's last public comment on the case came Wednesday afternoon when it issued a Community Advisory telling residents to expect an increased public safety presence in the area of the Merrimack River.

According to police reports, at around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Wilmington PD received a call about an alleged carjacking in the 800 block of Main Street.

The 911 caller told police that an individual drove onto the property of a business and threatened a couple of employees, directing them to leave their vehicle or they would get hurt, the Wilmington PD said.

Wilmington PD officers responded to the scene and located the suspect in a parking lot of another business, the department said.

The suspect, driving a minivan, then rammed the marked police cruiser and left the scene, the Wilmington PD said. The department said its officers pursued the vehicle through Tewksbury and into Lowell.

In Lowell, the suspect stopped the vehicle on the VFW Highway near the Aiken Street Bridge and exited the vehicle, police said. The suspect then climbed over a fence and into an area along the banks of the Merrimack River, according to the Wilmington PD.

In its Wednesday statement, the Lowell PD said it believed the suspect entered the Merrimack River. The department said the search has been focused on the river and river banks and that the search has utilized police officers, police K9s, a helicopter, drones, boats and divers.

Among the agencies that have joined the Wilmington PD and Lowell PD in the search are: the Lowell Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Environmental Police and the Tewksbury Police Department, authorities said.

The Wilmington PD said it is being assisted in the investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Wilmington Police Department Criminal Bureau at 978-658-5071.