Massachusetts police capture NH fugitive after 11-month run
Massachusetts police captured New Hampshire fugitive Daquhan Cromer, 29, in Lowell on Wednesday after nearly a year on the lam. Officers surrounded him near his girlfriend’s home; he then surrendered without incident after dodging Salem, N.H., police the night before.
Key Takeaways
- Daquhan Cromer, 29, was arrested shortly after noon Wednesday at 134 Bowden St. in Lowell, ending an 11-month run.
- He fled a Manchester, N.H., halfway house in December 2025 and was wanted on an escape warrant plus Salem felony cases.
- A Tuesday night shelter-in-place order in Salem followed a near-miss with police before he was tracked about 15 miles into Massachusetts.
- He was held without bail in Lowell District Court on a fugitive-from-justice charge; New Hampshire plans to seek extradition.
Where was the fugitive captured and how did it unfold?
According to NBC News, Cromer was taken into custody in Lowell after eluding Salem police Tuesday night. Salem Police Lt. Robert Kirley said tips placed him frequenting a residence in southeast New Hampshire, then officers traced him toward his girlfriend’s place in Lowell.
Lowell’s Warrant Unit, State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Methuen Police surrounded the Bowden Street address. Cromer surrendered without a struggle. The overnight shelter-in-place order in Salem was lifted Wednesday morning once authorities believed he had left the area.
Why had this fugitive been on the run for nearly a year?
Officials said Cromer left a transitional living facility—a halfway house—in Manchester in December 2025. Kirley called such departures rare, noting people in that minimum-security setting are often close to finishing their sentences. Salem police sought him on an escape warrant and in connection with multiple felonies in their town.
Kirley told NBC News it was unclear what Cromer did during those 11 months. He said Cromer had a girlfriend in Lowell but did not know whether she helped him evade capture. Cromer’s attorney declined comment to NBC News; in Lowell court, counsel stressed the escape was from a halfway house, not a prison.
What charges does he face now?
Hours after the arrest, Cromer was arraigned in Lowell District Court as a fugitive from justice. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said New Hampshire intends to extradite him, but prosecutors plan to resolve pending Lowell cases first. Judge Mary Phillips ordered him held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.
Those Lowell cases from August include allegations he threw a brick through a Centralville apartment window and later led police on a high-speed chase through Lowell and Dracut. Prosecutors also cited prior convictions including drug distribution and unlicensed firearm possession. An extradition warrant from Concord involves aggravated assault and escape, local reports said.
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