Police: City men arrested on multiple felonies after going on violent rampage

Raul Vides III (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - A Rochester man is facing multiple felonies after police say he committed a string of violent assaults Saturday at two different location in the city within minutes of each other, including attacks on two police officers trying to arrest him at the Lilac Mall where the mayhem ended.

Officers first got involved around 4:50 p.m. as they responded to the area of the BP gas station on South Main for a disturbance. It was reported a male, described as being in his 30s with a white shirt and dirty jeans had asked a female customer for ride.

When the female denied the ride the male started yelling at an employee there and grabbed the employee before the employee was able to push him away.

The male then got on a bus and left the area, but within 15 minutes, police responded to the area of the Lilac Mall for another disturbance regarding a male wearing a white T-shirt and jeans.

While en route police learned the male was trying to get into vehicles and had attacked a female and hit her in the head.

"When the first officer arrived, he located the male inside the Dollar Tree," Rochester Police Capt. Todd Pinkham said today. "Due to the reports of his erratic behavior and assaults, the officer attempted to detain male as he tried to go behind the register area."

Pinkham said the male became combative with the officer by throwing soda at him hitting him in the chest and pulling away from him while the officer was trying to detain him.

At that point a customer began to assist the officer as the male continued to be combative. When the second officer arrived to assist, the male struck the officer in the head and continued to resist. A third officer arrived and eventually the male was taken into custody and officers were able to speak with witnesses.

Pinkham said it was reported during the first Disturbance at the BP that the male asked a female customer for a ride. When she decline, and the subject opened the passenger side door and started to get in before he was stopped by an employee. The male left and he got on the bus.

When he got off at the Lilac Mall he began trying to get into cars, Pinkham said.

"He approached one vehicle and grabbed the male driver and tried to pull him out of the driver's seat," Pinkham noted. "A female passenger reported the male punched her a few times while trying to get into the car, then got in the back, told them to drive, but then left after taking a can of soda."

Another female noticed the male trying to get into cars so she yelled for someone to call the Police. The male ran toward her, got in the bed of her truck and threatened to kill the female and her family if she did not give him a ride, he said.

The female, who was seated in her truck with her two year old child, said the male then went into the Dollar Tree when another customer came over to her to see if she was OK.

As a result of the incidents at the BP and the Lilac Mall, police arrested Raul Vides III, 33, of Rochester. He was charged with multiple felonies, Possession of a Controlled Drug, Kidnapping x 2, robbery, and multiple misdemeanors, 6 counts of Simple Assault, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Threatening, Criminal Trespass, and Disorderly Conduct. Vides was transported to the Strafford County Jail pending arraignment.