Rochester man being held on $1,000 cash bail after his third arrest in four days

Nathan Merchant (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - A Rochester man is being held on $1,000 cash bail after he was arrested three times in four days last week.

According to dispatch notes a man stole candy from OSJL around 9:20 a.m. on Friday then left and went to Hannaford where he stole hair care products.
"We took a call of a male stealing merchandise from Ocean State Job Lot, followed by a report of a male with the same physical description stealing merchandise from Hannaford," Rochester Police Support Commander Andrew Swanberry said on Tuesday. "Officers located and identified the male as Nathan Merchant, 41, of 105 Whitehouse Road."
Merchant was arrested and charged with two instances of theft as well as one charge of contempt as he was out on bail with a condition that he not commit any crimes while on release. Both charges are Class A misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail.
On April 18 around 3:40 a.m. Rochester Police responded to a call of a male pounding on doors of a private residence on Common Street where Merchant was moved along.
"Shortly after he began walking down the middle of Common Street as opposed to using the sidewalk," Swanberry said last week. As a result, Merchant was charged with pedestrian on roadway, a violation level offense, and given an arraignment date next month.
Police had contact with Merchant again on Thursday around 12:15 p.m. when they were called to Kentucky Fried Chicken on Columbus Avenue for a report of a male near the dumpster - who appeared to be under the influence influence - causing some sort of disruption, according to Swanberry.
Again, police identified the man as Merchant, who had previously been served with a trespass notification, prohibiting him from being on Kentucky Fried Chicken property.
Merchant was charged with criminal trespass, a Class B misdemeanor. He was also found to be on bail from a separate incident and was also charged with contempt, a Class A misdemeanor, for violating bail conditions that typically include remaining of good behavior, not committing any additional crimes while on release, and no excessive use of alcohol or drugs and/or any use of alcohol or drugs, Swanberry noted.

Merchant remains held at Strafford County Jail on $1,000 cash bail, jail personnel said today.