A man used a fake gun to rob a sex shop in Northborough, Massachusetts, late Thursday, then fled into the woods, prompting a manhunt in the woods nearby for hours, officials said.
He was arrested early Friday morning after a standoff in the woods, officials said. A knife and a fake gun were confiscated, and the man, Ross Bourgeois, appeared in court later in the day after being evaluated at a hospital. He was held without bail on charges of armed robbery, carrying a dangerous weapon, breach of the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The incident began about 10:30 p.m., when employees at the Amazing Intimate Essentials & Smoke Shop confronted a person they saw shoplifting, who pulled out what looked like a gun and ran away with a few items, police said.
Bourgeois took "approximately $300 worth of merchandise, lubricants and personal items," prosecutors said.
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Northborough police initially said on social media late Thursday night that there was an active police scene near the Walmart on Lawrence Street, asking people to avoid the area.
Police later provided an update saying they were searching for a man who went into a Route 9 business and showed a gun. A Northborough officer spotted a man walking along Lawrence Street who matched the suspect's description, so he confronted him, at which point the suspect ran into the nearby woods.
In an update Friday morning, the Northborough Police Department said its officers had responded to the armed robbery around 10:30 p.m. at the Amazing Intimate Essential Store, located at 15 Belmont Street, and established a perimeter in the Route 9 and Lawrence Street area.
Multiple police agencies responded, including Westborough, Shrewsbury, state police and the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council.
Video overnight showed numerous police vehicles, police dogs and a SWAT team in the Walmart parking lot.
Utilizing drone units, police were able to locate the robbery suspect hiding in a wooded area near the Walmart at 200 Otis Street, police said.
Officers attempted to negotiate the suspect's surrender but police say he refused to comply, so the state police Special Tactical Operations Team and negotiators were called to the scene to continue negotiations.
The man surrendered around 3 a.m. without further incident, and police say they found a replica firearm and a double-edged knife on him.
Around 3:15 a.m. Friday, the scene at Walmart had been cleared.
Prosecutors said Bourgeois pointed a laser at officers during the four-hour standoff, causing the officers to fear he would shoot at them. After his arrest, Bourgeois' weapon was found to be an Airsoft rifle.
His lawyer noted it "was a toy gun," and that he didn't point it at anybody. Bourgeois is due back in court for a dangerousness hearing March 11.
A resident of Lawrence Street who witnessed police yelling at someone to stop praised the police response.
"The response was so quick, it was great. I’m very happy they caught him and happy that it turned out not to be a real firearm because I do have children," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
