UPDATE: Cops Grab Alleged Assailant Who Fled Into Fells [VIDEO]

Massachusetts State Police arrested a Boston homeless man allegedly involved in multiple assaults of women from the Melrose-Stoneham area after he fled into a wooded area Friday morning, according to authorities.

Police arrested Thomas Barney, 60, and charged him with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (his foot), disorderly conduct and threat to commit a crime, according to Stoneham Police Lt. Jim McIntyre. Barney also was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Barnstable District Court charging him with defacing property, McIntyre said.

Barney was expected to be arraigned in Woburn District Court Friday afternoon.

At 9:45 a.m. Melrose Police requested assistance from State Police in searching for Barney after he allegedly committed an assault at a Dunkin Donuts in Stoneham on the Lynn Fells Parkway, just over the Melrose-Stoneham line, on the Fellsway, police said.

"The first officer arrived on scene and spoke with the victims, who alleged a homeless person (participated in an) unprovoked assault," McIntyre said of Barney. "He (allegedly) kicked the victims. He left the scene prior to our arrival and what concerned us was he (allegedly) made statements he had a fire arm."

A witness told Melrose Patch that she was in her car at the Super Petroleum gas station on the Lynn Fells Parkway and her brother, in the car with her, saw the alleged assailant run over to a woman’s car and hit or kick the back of the vehicle.

“Something clearly took place before we got there, between the two of them,” she said.

The witness said the man appeared disheveled, saying, “The guy was clearly homeless … he was using his finger pretending to be shooting everybody and talking nonsense.”

The woman whose car was struck was pulling out of the gas station when the man allegedly hit the car. She pulled back into the gas station and got out of the car, the witness said, yelling at the man, who then charged at the woman and grabbed her.

“He was calling her the N-word pretty loudly,” the witness said. “He ran over to her with his arms out and just grabbed her. He wasn’t like hitting her, but they ended up on the ground. He did attack her, came towards her and grabbed her.”

People ran out of the Dunkin’ Donuts next door to pull the man off the woman, who then started to kick the man as they were being separated.

“It was pretty intense—a lot of people and a lot a chaos,” the witness said.

As the group of people held the man and woman apart, someone called the police, at which point the man ran across the street into the woods of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, the witness said.

State Police sent patrol units, a helicopter from the Air Wing, and Melrose Police's K-9 unit assisted with the search, police said. It took roughly 1 1/2 hours to apprehend Barney, according to McIntyre.

State Police Lt. Richard Sullivan, a veteran trooper who is familiar with the area, figured the suspect might cross through the woods and exit onto Franklin Street near Weiss Farm, read the State Police statement.

The suspect attempted to run but was quickly apprehended by Sullivan, according to the statement.