Man Smashes Through Grocery Store Ceiling, Twice
DOVER, NH (CBS) - Police say a man fell through the ceiling of a New Hampshire supermarket, twice.
Officers were initially called to a Bank of New Hampshire for a robbery and began checking surrounding businesses. When they went into Shaw's they didn't find the suspected bank robber, but they did look up to see a man falling through the ceiling.
It was an unexpected clean up in the meat aisle as 30-year-old Eric Lombari's legs came crashing through the ceiling at the grocery store.
A Dover officer was already in the store searching for the robber when he heard a loud noise. Shoppers say they saw a man's legs fall through.
"You're just trying to grocery shop, get a couple of things and you see a person hanging from the ceiling," said Emma Johnson. "That's pretty wild."
The store was evacuated and more officers were called in to look for Lombari.
"A short time later the suspect fell through the drop ceiling a second time in a different portion of the store," said Dover Police Captain Brad Gould.
Police swarmed and arrested Lombari on the second fall. Captain Gould says Lombari was spooked by police presence in the area so he hid.
"My understanding is this particular subject might have been on bail for an offense out of another jurisdiction," Gould said. "For whatever reason he thought our response to the bank robbery was for him and he fled into the back of the store."
Lombari was in court Friday facing charges of criminal mischief, trespassing, and resisting arrest.
Shaw's released a statement to WBZ saying they are cooperating with Dover PD but declined to comment beyond that.