Hooksett Man Cleared in Queen City Elderly Store Owner Assault Incident

MANCHESTER, NH — A Hooksett man arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly assaulting an elderly Manchester store owner has been cleared of those charges – but was arraigned Friday on outstanding, unrelated warrants, according to Manchester Police. Thomas Ford Jr., 20, of Hooksett, was cleared of the charges after police developed another suspect – Jason Crawford, 30, of Manchester – a convicted felon with a history of violent crime.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Manchester Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

According to Sgt. Shawn McCabe of the Manchester Police, while investigators were building a case against Ford, “new information came to light that led to another person of interest.” Crawford, he stated, was that subject, and was developed as a suspect after police were able to match the tattoo of the letter “J” from the suspect in the video surveillance at Han's Food Mart on Maple Street, a tattoo that Ford did not have. After searching through the department's computer records, Crawford was reportedly found to have the same tattoo.

Crawford was also wanted on an unrelated charge and when police went to arrest him, “a violent struggle ensued,” and he allegedly injured a detective during the struggle, according to McCabe. A felony level resisting charge was added to Crawford’s docket, along with the robbery and first-degree assault charges.

The Manchester Information Facebook site posted video of Crawford’s arraignment.

The site also recorded an interview with Manchester Police about why Ford was cleared of the charges and how they learned Crawford was a possible suspect.

The investigation is continuing, according to McCabe, and anyone with information is being asked to contact the Manchester Police Department 603-668-8711 and or the Detective Division at 603-792-5500. You can also contact Manchester Police Crimeline at 624-4040 and provide an anonymous tip.