Nashua Police Make An Arrest In Mine Falls Park Assault Investigation

NASHUA, NH — Nashua Police have made an arrest in an investigation involving multiple physical assaults in the Mine Falls Park area between Oct. 11 and Oct. 16.

The complainants reported a male subject was harassing females within the park and assaulting them. On Oct. 16, a woman reported walking in Mine Falls Park when she was assaulted. She reported the suspect approached her from behind, grabbed her by the hood of her sweatshirt, and pulled her down to the ground.

The suspect fled the area on a bicycle. The victim’s friend photographed the suspect as he rode away. Witnesses and the victim described the suspect as a white male wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a white N-95 mask, riding a dark-colored mountain bike.

Over the next several days, the Nashua Police Department conducted high visibility and plain-clothed saturation patrols of Mine Falls Park. On Friday, plain-clothed officers observed a subject who matched the suspect’s description riding an electric scooter in Mine Falls. The Officers conducted a subject stop on the individual.

The subject was identified as Shane Totman, 30. Totman denied being involved with the reported assaults and officers were unable to confirm his involvement at that time. Detectives from the Special Investigations Division and the Criminal Investigation Division had been assigned to further the investigation. Utilizing video surveillance obtained from area security surveillance systems, Detectives were able to track the suspect riding his bike back to an address on Blossom Street in Nashua shortly after the assault occurred on Oct. 16.

The suspect was wearing the same clothing and riding the same bicycle in the video surveillance, as seen in the photograph taken during the assault. The address the suspect entered was listed as Totman.

On Sunday, Detectives applied for and were granted an arrest warrant for Totman and a search warrant for his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Detectives located and placed Totman under arrest without incident.

Totman is accused of simple assault and was held on Preventative Detention pending his arraignment at the 9th Circuit District Division – Nashua Court on Monday afternoon.

The Nashua Police Department requests anyone with more information about this incident to contact the Crime Line at 603-589-1665.