Rochester chase suspect held on high bail

Reuben Adams

ROCHESTER - A day after leading Rochester Police and U.S. Marshals on a wild, high-speed chase through Rochester’s downtown the fugitive from justice arrested in the incident was ordered held behind bars on $100,000 cash bail by a Rochester District Court judge on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Rochester Police Captain Paul Toussaint said the chase sequence will be reviewed as is customary in all significant law enforcement incidents including vehicular and foot pursuits.

He said while 100 mph speeds have been reported in some media outlets, those are only estimates given by witnesses and in no way should be considered definitive numbers.

Toussaint said preliminary findings indicated Rochester Police and other law enforcement agencies called off the pursuit in the area of Gary’s Sports Bar on Milton Road (Route 125), allowing fugitive from justice Reuben Adams, 36, no address given, to continue on his own north on Milton Road toward Milton.

Moments before members of the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force along with members of the Rochester Police had sought to apprehend Adams at a residence on Bridge Street, not far from the courthouse.

Witnesses who were at the courthouse on Wednesday morning said they saw three vehicles speed past the courthouse, two law enforcement vehicles in pursuit of Adams’ white Oldsmobile Alero.

Adams sped north against traffic on one-way Union Street, then headed down Wakefield Street and onto Milton Road where he ultimately crashed into a cement abutment in the parking lot adjacent to the Lil’ Mart.

Soon after, police apprehended Adams hiding in the rafters of a barn at 160 Milton Road around noon.

During Thursday’s videotaped arraignment from the Strafford County Jail, Adams attempted to interrupt county prosecutor Dorothy Walch as she laid out the state’s case against him, but was abruptly silenced by District Court Judge Daniel Cappiello who warned Adams he might not want to say much until he gets a lawyer considering the seriousness of the charges.

In addition to being a fugitive from justice in Vermont felonies including assault on an officer and heroin possession, Adams was arraigned Thursday on a slew of charges related to Wednesday’s chase including two felonies for driving at officers, as well as at least a handful of misdemeanor charges, including disobeying an officer, criminal trespassing, resisting arrest, two counts of conduct after an accident, and reckless operation and one-way road violations.

Walch reeled off a record of drugs, DWIs and eluding police dating back to 1995.

She urged a $100,000 cash bail, and Cappiello agreed. He also ordered Adams held without bail on the Fugitive from Justice charges out of Vermont.

He further indicated Adams would have to face all the charges connected with Wednesday’s incident before being returned to Vermont.

After trying to interrupt during the early part of his hearing Adams fell silent toward the end saying nothing and looking down at the floor.

Judge Cappiello entered “not guilty” pleas on all of Adams’ charges and advised he get a lawyer. A probable cause and extradition hearing is set for Dec. 20.