Police: Man nabbed after terrorizing random motorists, shoppers on North Main St.

Jesse T.K. Miller (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - It took a half dozen Rochester Police Officers about an hour to corral a suspect alleged to have terrorized two random motorists when he jumped in their cars and threatened them with bodily harm at two North Main Street businesses on Wednesday.

The bizarre series of events began unfolding at the North Main Street Cumberland Farms around 2:40 p.m. when a call into dispatch indicated a man had come out of the convenience store to find a man sitting in his truck.

According to dispatch notes, the owner of the vehicle told him to get out to which the suspect replied, "I'll f---ing blast you" before getting out and walking into the woods near the store.

At the same time, another dispatcher took a report that the suspect who ran into the woods had a gun.

Moments later a customer at the nearby Bank of American called 911 to say a man had jumped into their vehicle and pointed what they thought was a gun at them before jumping out of the car and going back into the woods.

Two officers finally caught up with the suspect at the Ten Rod Road overpass where he was taken into custody and found to have two bench warrants against him.

Jesse T.K. Miller, 35, a local transient who formerly lived on Forest Avenue, was charged with two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, criminal threatening/conduct with firearm, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and resisting arrest.

Deputy Rochester Police Chief Gary Boudreau said the suspect showed a knife to one of the victims and added that the conduct with a firearm charge was for brandishing what one of the victims thought was a handgun but was actually the suspect's hand.

"The victim thought it was a gun, so that's the charge," Boudreau said.

Miller was released on personal recognizance bail on Thursday, Strafford County Jail personnel said today.