Daquhan Cromer Captured in Lowell After New Hampshire Manhunt

Daquhan Cromer, a 29-year-old New Hampshire fugitive described by authorities as “armed and dangerous,” was captured in Lowell on Wednesday after a months-long flight from justice that recently triggered a shelter-in-place order in Salem, New Hampshire.

For residents of Lowell and Salem, the stakes were immediate and physical—ranging from a brick shattered through a bedroom window to high-speed chases through residential streets.

The Bowden Street Capture

The manhunt concluded at 134 Bowden Street, where Cromer was apprehended by a coordinated team including the Lowell Police Department’s Warrant Unit, the Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Methuen Police. His capture came just a day after Salem Police had to issue a temporary shelter-in-place order for their community, fearing Cromer was in the immediate vicinity before determining he had crossed the border into Massachusetts.

Subject of Salem, NH, manhunt taken into custody in Lowell

Hours after his arrest, Cromer appeared in Lowell District Court. He was arraigned on a fugitive-from-justice charge and two separate warrants stemming from incidents in August. While New Hampshire intends to extradite Cromer to face charges of aggravated assault and escape, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office informed the court that prosecutors plan to resolve the pending Lowell cases first.

A point of legal contention emerged during the arraignment regarding Cromer’s status. His attorney, Daniel Murphy, explicitly clarified that Cromer had escaped from a halfway house—a transitional living facility—rather than a formal correctional facility, correcting reports from other news outlets that had characterized the escape as a prison break.

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A Pattern of Violence in Lowell

The most harrowing incident occurred on August 20 at a Willard Street apartment. According to Lowell Police incident reports, a woman reported receiving threatening texts from Cromer after she refused to buy drugs from him. She told investigators that Cromer threatened to beat her, shoot a friend, and kick in her door, noting that she had seen him with a firearm on several occasions.

The threats escalated into a near-tragedy shortly after 4 a.m. that morning. While the woman and her boyfriend were lying in bed, a brick crashed through their bedroom window, showering the room in glass. Police reports state the brick landed just beyond the bed, narrowly missing the couple. Although the victims did not see Cromer throw the brick, they told police they were “100% certain” it was him based on his voice and his specific knowledge of the apartment layout.

NH fugitive who escaped prison has been captured in Lowell

The fallout from that event led to a second criminal case just one night later. While conducting surveillance related to the Willard Street attack, police spotted Cromer driving a silver Toyota Camry near Bridge Street. When officers attempted a stop, Cromer allegedly accelerated to speeds exceeding 60 mph, driving into oncoming traffic and running a red light in Dracut. Officers eventually terminated the pursuit to avoid a catastrophic collision, later finding the abandoned vehicle near a wooded area.

Judge Orders Cromer Held Without Bail

The judicial response to Cromer’s history has been swift. Judge Mary Phillips, acting on the recommendation of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, ordered Cromer held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.

Daquhan Cromer Captured in Lowell After New Hampshire Manhunt

The complexity of his legal situation is highlighted by the sheer volume of pending charges across multiple jurisdictions:

Lowell District Court: Malicious destruction of property, threats to commit a crime, and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Lawrence District Court: Destruction of property, assault and battery on a household or family member, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and larceny.
Concord, New Hampshire: Aggravated assault and escape.

Cromer’s alleged crimes in Lowell occurred months after his December escape, proving that the danger persisted long after he left the structured environment of the halfway house.

Escaped fugitive from New Hampshire arrested in Lowell

Cromer’s criminal history is extensive, including prior convictions for drug distribution and possession of a firearm without a license, as well as periods of incarceration in Essex County. The combination of these priors and the recent allegations of targeted violence formed the basis for the court’s decision to keep him detained.

Cromer is scheduled to return to court this coming Monday for a dangerousness hearing regarding the assault case, a status hearing on the fugitive complaint, and a pretrial hearing for the motor vehicle charges, for which he was held on $2,500 cash bail.