Jonathan Shaw was accused of attacking a woman and impeding her breathing during an early morning incident on Thursday in Downtown Concord.
CONCORD, NH — A homeless man now located in Concord was arrested on Thursday, accused of a random early morning attack against a woman on Bridge Street.
Around 12:45 a.m., police dispatch took a report from a woman in her late 50s who was dumpster diving and was assaulted by an unknown man. The woman accused the man of approaching her, covering her mouth and nose, and telling her to be quiet and not say anything, according to an affidavit. The woman said she could not breathe because the man’s hands were over her mouth, a report said. The woman then bit the suspect’s hand and he struck her in the face, she claimed, and threw her over the dumpster. The suspect then fled the area.
The man was described as white, about 6 feet tall, with an acne-ridden face, blue eyes, and brown hair, and wearing glasses, jeans, and a hoodie. The woman said she did not know or recognize the suspect.
Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and Concord District Court and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the process for requesting the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.
Detectives were assigned to the case and began looking for surveillance footage in the area.
Later, a detective spoke with a business in the area with a security camera. Digital footage was reviewed by “multiple detectives” and reflected what the victim claimed occurred, an affidavit said.
Detectives also saw a Chevrolet Impala sedan with a spoiler on the trunk turning from Loudon Road onto Bridge Street. The driver drove the car “slowly behind (the victim),” but she did not appear to see the car. The driver parked the car in the southern area of the lot, exited the car, put the hood of the hoodie up over his head, and attacked the woman.
The report noted the hoodie had the word “Thrasher” on it, and the suspect appeared to be wearing only black socks.
“Based on the video evidence,” a detective wrote, “it was apparent (the victim) was violently assaulted by the male without provocation or warning.”
On Thursday afternoon, a detective on Loudon Road was canvassing for additional security footage in the area when he spotted a car that appeared to be the suspected vehicle involved in the incident.
The driver of the car “strongly resembled the suspect in this investigation,” the detective wrote. The car, later identified as a 2014 Chevy Impala, was stopped at the McDonald’s Restaurant on Loudon Road, and the driver, Jonathan Shaw, 27, was identified. Backup was requested, and the detectives spoke with Shaw about the assault on Bridge Street. One detective asked if there was any reason he and his car were in that area at the time of the incident, the report said.
“Jonathan,” the detective wrote, “took responsibility for the assault and indicated that he was going through a ‘mental break’ currently.”
Shaw agreed to a recorded interview, was read his Miranda Rights, and admitted to the attack, the affidavit stated. The detective wrote Shaw wanted to “take full responsibility” for the incident, adding “it was ‘almost as (if he) had no control of himself’,” the report said. Shaw, the affidavit said, “acted out of anger toward the world.”
During the interview, Shaw was accused of admitting to the attack, but he did not believe he grabbed the woman by the neck. He blamed his anger on mental health issues and trauma and not being on his meds, the report stated. Shaw said he was involved in a similar incident in high school with another student, the report stated, although the attack against the woman was “much more random.” He also said he remembered “not wanting to do it,” the detective wrote.
The detective noted Shaw had a bandage on his left pinky finger.
Shaw, who has no known address, was arrested on felony second-degree assault-strangulation and simple assault charges. He was taken straight to county and arraigned in Concord District Court on Friday.
Deputy Chief Barrett Moulton said the investigation into the incident is ongoing, and anyone with information about Shaw or the attack was asked to contact police.
Anyone who has information relative to this incident and wishes to remain anonymous is asked to call the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100, or submit information online through the Crimeline website at: concordregionalcrimeline.com, or text message TIP234 and your message to CRIMES (274637). Crimeline awards cash to anyone whose information leads to the arrest and indictment of criminals. All tips remain anonymous.
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