Lowell Man Charged for Chelmsford Robbery

A Lowell man was arrested in Chelmsford for allegedly holding up the Hannafords in Drum Hill on Tuesday.

According to the Lowell Sun, George Melendez, of 205 Pratt Ave., Unit 25, was charged with unarmed robbery, according to Chelmsford Deputy Police Chief Dan Ahern.

Chelmsford police received a call Tuesday about 12:30 p.m. reporting a robbery at Hannaford's customer service desk, according to Lt. Edward Quinn.

Melendez allegedly told an employee that he was going to rob the store and passed a note demanding money.
Melendez was arrested in Lowell after 8 p.m.

According to The Sun, Melendez has a lengthy rap sheet.

In 2005, Melendez was charged with robbing banks in Dracut, Lawrence, and Salem, N.H.

In 2006, he was charged with robbing a Lowell convenience store while armed with a knife, and was later sentenced to 2 1/2 years in the House of Correction in connection with that case.

In January of 2010, he was again charged with unarmed robbery, and a year later he plead guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison, though he was credited with 521 days served.
In December 2012, he was charged with unarmed robbery after police accused him of robbing the Lowell Five on Wood Street.

During a court appearance in that case, Melendez told a court clinician that he has struggled with heroin addiction on and off for decades. Melendez is a former U.S. Army master sergeant who served in Operation Desert Storm, according to a story in The Sun regarding his 2012 arrest.

In April of 2013, Melendez was arrested by state police following a roughly 6-mile vehicle pursuit on Interstate 495. State police said at that time that Melendez was a suspect in a bank robbery in Lawrence.