WATERVILLE — A Skowhegan man was arrested Wednesday after police said he shoplifted at Marden’s Surplus and Salvage and then led officers on an hour-long chase near Kennedy Memorial Drive.

Zachary Erkson, 24, of East Street in Skowhegan, tried to elude officers by running through the woods and area businesses, police said.

Erkson was arrested on a charges that he stole wrenches valued at $20 from Marden’s on Kennedy Memorial Drive, according to Waterville Police Chief Deputy Charles Rumsey.

Store employees followed Erkson before he fled and called the police, Rumsey said. While the police were en route, Erkson returned to the parking lot to get into a vehicle, but was met by store employees and fled again, Rumsey said.

For an hour, Erkson ran through the woods behind Super Shoes, traversed across Kennedy Memorial Drive and went into a Dunkin’ Donuts, Rumsey said. The department got multiple calls of a suspicious man before an officer and a detective found him on Airport road, Rumsey said.

“When they got close, he ran from both the detective and the officer and was chased down on foot,” Rumsey said.

Once police identified Erkson, they found out he was wanted on five warrants, several for theft and burglary charges and unpaid fines, Rumsey said. In addition to the warrants and summonses on theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and refusing to submit to an arrest, Erkson was wanted in Franklin County on charges he stole a 1997 Mazda V4000 truck, the keys of which he had in his pocket when police searched him, Rumsey said. The truck was parked at Marden’s.

Erkson will be charged with the theft of a motor vehicle, a class C crime, and theft of a debit card, a class D crime, once the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office can present him with the charges, according to Sheriff Scott Nichols.

“He’s in jail right now on a probation hold and we have plenty of evidence and witnesses against him, so there’s no rush,” Nichols said.

The truck was stolen from Phillips in Franklin County on March 30, according to Nichols.

Erkson has a May 6 court date at Franklin County District Court on the theft charges, Nichols said.

Because of prior charges, the theft charge was a class C felony, Rumsey said, and Erkson has a May 13 court date at Kennebec County Superior Court.

Jesse Scardina — 861-9239 jscardina@centralmaine.com Twitter: @jessescardina