Man arrested in N.J. after allegedly stealing car, running over owner at Reading gas station

Police arrested a suspect Saturday night in New Jersey after he allegedly stole a car and ran over its owner at a Reading gas station earlier in the evening, officials said.

The man, 32, from Livermore Falls, Maine, was apprehended by the Robbinsville Township Police Department at 11:30 p.m. on April 26, according to a statement from the Reading Police Department.

Reading police responded to a 911 call at 6:33 p.m. from someone reporting that a man had stolen a car from a customer pumping gas at the Shell station at 110 Main St.

An investigation found that the suspect pulled up and parked a blue Chevrolet Malibu — found to be stolen out of Maine — next to the person’s black 2022 Range Rover Sport that was being pumped with gas on the passenger side, according to the statement. The suspect went into the driver’s side of the Range Rover, did a U-turn in the parking lot, and “partially ran over” the car owner, officials said.

The owner, a 49-year-old Reading man, held onto the mirror of his car and was dragged 20 feet, according to the statement. He was transported to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center with unknown injuries.

The suspect traveled through Connecticut and New York before being caught after a brief vehicle pursuit and foot chase in New Jersey, according to the statement.

The suspect is likely to be charged in Maine and New Jersey in addition to Massachusetts, authorities said. The investigation is still ongoing.

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