Mass. women facing numerous charges after allegedly shoplifiting, assaulting officers with mace in N.H.

Local news

The suspects allegedly stole items from the American Eagle and Polo stores.

Two women allegedly shoplifted and assaulted officers at the Merrimack Premium Outlets on Saturday.

After receiving a report of a theft in progress at the Polo store around 3:45 p.m., police located two female suspects — Maryah Williams of Boston and Lasonia Watler of Brockton — at the American Eagle store with stolen merchandise from both stores, according to a statement from the Merrimack Police Department.

When confronted by police, one suspect allegedly tried to hide his stolen items, and both resisted arrest, authorities said.

Williams allegedly kicked an officer in the stomach and sprayed pepper spray into the officer’s eyes and into the air, affecting the other officer and other people in the store. Merrimack firefighters and EMS treated the officers, as well as offered treatment to patrons of the American Eagle, according to the statement.

Both women were arrested but “continued to resist and shout obscene and racially insensitive insults in a public setting causing disruption to other shoppers,” the statement said.

Williams and Watler were taken to the Merrimack Police Department for treatment and are now being held at the Hillsborough County Department of Corrections, police said.

They are scheduled to appear in 9th Circuit Merrimack District Court on Monday, officials said.

Watler faces a felony count of receiving stolen property, while Williams is charged with receiving stolen property, attempted second-degree assault and tampering with physical evidence, the department said. They both face additional misdemeanor charges of simple assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and possession of theft detection device removal tools.