EPPING - A Somersworth man was arrested Saturday after allegedly holding up the Epping Market Basket and later attempting to flee from police.

Eric Dubois, 32, admitted he held up the grocery store in the Brickyard Square shopping center on Route 125, according to police Sgt. Rich Cote.

Officers responded to the store just after 3 p.m. Saturday to investigate after the holdup alarm was activated.

Witnesses told police that a man approached an employee at the customer service window and handed her a note demanding money, Cote said. He also threatened to harm her, Cote said.

After fleeing the store with an undetermined amount of cash, police issued a statewide bulletin to law enforcement agencies with a description of the suspect’s car and license plate number.

A short time later, a Barrington police officer spotted a car matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle.

Cote said the driver, later identified as Dubois, tried to elude the officer and eventually crashed.

Dubois was arrested, after obtaining a search warrant police found clothes used in the robbery in the vehicle, Cote said. The stolen money also was recovered.

Dubois confessed to the robbery during an interview with Epping police, Cote said, and  is being held at Strafford County jail.

jschreiber@newstote.com