N.H. snow plow driver chases alleged shoplifter

EPPING, N.H. - A snow plow driver in New Hampshire says she did her part to help a police officer who was trying to capture a fleeing shoplifting suspect, reports CBS Boston.

Laura Barker was clearing snow at a Wal-Mart parking lot in Epping, N.H. during Thursday’s snowstorm when something caught her eye.

“I saw an officer hiding at the doors waiting for somebody so I just kind of kept doing my job, kept an eye on him, make sure everything was going smoothly,” Barker told the station. 

The officer was reportedly waiting for Joshua Peno who was believed to be shoplifting in the store.

But Barker says while the officer was escorting Peno to a squad car, Peno ran.

That’s when Barker jumped into the fray, following the 22-year-old suspect in an attempt to keep him from leaving the scene of the crime.

The officer and Peno ended up wrestling each other to the ground, but Peno got free again and headed for a getaway car, according to the station.

Barker followed in her snow plow, trying to block the suspect's vehicle, but lost the trail at a nearby intersection.

Still, she feels that she did her part to help.

“Us plow guys we’re just out here doing our job and when you see an officer on the ground, it was a little disconcerting to see that,” said Barker.

Police say Peno was eventually arrested and charged with a number of crimes.