Crime & Safety

Salem Man Allegedly Robs Shopper

The 33-year-old allegedly snatched a wallet from a woman who was shopping for groceries and dashed from the store pursued by an employee and, soon thereafter, by police.

 

A Salem man faces robbery, assault and other charges for allegedly snatching a customer's wallet at the Swampscott Stop & Shop on Sunday.

Jay Oberman, 33, 3A Hart Way, is also charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

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He was ordered held on $1,500 bail at his arraignment in Lynn District Court on Monday. He later made bail and was released.

About 1:30 pm Sunday a shopper was in the water aisle at the Paradise Road grocery store with her wallet in the cart and her hand on the wallet. The wallet contained $320 and credit cards, the victim told police.

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The victim, a woman, told that a man grabbed her hand and took the wallet and ran, the court report states. 

The victim told police that she screamed: "Help me. Help me. He grabbed my wallet."

A grocery store worker heard the plea and chased the man from the store.

The suspect, about 5 feet 8 inches with short brown hair, was wearing a Bruins shirt bearing No. 19.

The suspect wheeled and flung the wallet on the ground by the store worker and he recovered it. 

The suspect fled toward Essex Street in Swampscott.

Another witness from followed the suspect and updated police dispatch on his whereabouts.

Dispatch relayed the suspect's location over the radio.

Swampscott Patrolman Michael Serino saw the suspect behind a condo complex on Carol Way in Salem, the police report states.

The patrolman saw that the man had turned his Bruins shirt inside out, the report states.

Patrolman John Cassidy and Sgt. Joseph Kable of the Swampscott PD found the suspect at the back of the condo complex. Police ordered him to the ground and he was taken into custody.

The suspect was out of breath and complaining of asthma-like symptoms, the report says. Salem police and ambulance arrived to the scene.

He was taken to Salem Hospital and later booked at the Salem Police Department.

At the time of his arrest, Oberman was out on bail, according to court records.

He has a probable cause hearing at Lynn District July 11.


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