Grocery thief with pepper spray targets Durham St. pedestrian

A leisurely stroll home after doing groceries on July 12 turned into a frightening experience for a Sudbury man.

Bruce Young, 68, was walking to his Riverside Drive home via Durham Street in downtown Sudbury. He stopped to rest outside of the Copy Copy store, when he was approached by a young man.

“I thought he just wanted a cigarette,” Young said.

Instead, Young was pepper-sprayed in the face, and the suspect grabbed his bag of groceries and ran, heading west down Durham. The one bag of groceries was about a week's worth for him, Young said.

“And he probably just threw it away, which is really sad,” Young said.

Young gave chase, but didn't get far before the pepper spray rendered him pretty much blind, albeit temporarily.

“I was yelling, 'stop' and 'police,'” he said. “A group of young people near Stackhouse Pizza came over to help. They asked what happened, and I assume it was them who called 911.”

A woman driving by also stopped to ask what happened. When Young explained, she started to follow the grocery thief, but came back a short time later, as she lost sight of him.

Young said he just wants those people to know just how much he appreciates their help. He didn't get any names of any of his rescuers, but said he hopes they read this and know that their kindness will never be forgotten.

“They didn't have to help, but they did,” he said. “Sudbury is still a great city thanks to these strangers.”

Young, who said his eyes are much better today, wants to thank everyone he met through the experience, from the paramedics who stayed with him at the hospital, to the police officer, who displayed tremendous patience while taking a statement (Young is hearing impaired), to the hospital staff who treated him.