Manchester Man Arrested On Stolen Firearm Charges In Merrimack

MERRIMACK, NH — A Manchester man has been arrested on felony theft charges after an investigation into stolen handguns he was accused of being in possession of during a warrant arrest.

In mid-March, Adrian Renard Hardin, 27, of Pearl Street in Manchester, was arrested by police in Merrimack on felony theft by unauthorized taking-$1,501+ and operating without a valid license charges at a local hotel.

According to police, officers were on local patrols, looking for Hardin, after Manchester police issued an arrest warrant against him for unauthorized use, second-degree assault, and simple assault charges. Queen City police warned Merrimack cops that Hardin could be "armed and dangerous" and might be staying at a Merrimack hotel, Lt. William Gudzinowicz said.

Just after midnight, police saw a motor vehicle matching the description of one Hardin might be in entering a hotel parking lot.

"Hardin exited from the driver’s seat," Gudzinowicz said. "Officers confronted Hardin and placed him under arrest without incident."

During the course of the investigation, police said the vehicle — a 2009 Toyota Prius, had been stolen out of Manchester, and Hardin was not licensed to drive. He was released later to Manchester police for processing.

At the time of the arrest, Hardin had an active felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, falsifying physical evidence, and resisting arrest or detention case out of Manchester after an incident in June 2020.

Police in Merrimack requested a search warrant of the Prius. After receiving it, an officer and a sergeant found a Ruger Wrangler 22LR revolver with six bullets in it that was reported stolen out of Keene as well as a Taurus Titanium 38 Special revolver, with a single round, that was stolen out of Manchester inside the Pruis, according to an affidavit. The department issued a warrant on March 30 for Hardin's arrested on two felon in possession of a firearm and two felony receiving stolen property charges.

According to police, Hardin is a felon due to a third-degree burglary conviction in Lexington County, South Carolina, in July 2015. He also racked up shoplifting and larceny charges in 2014 in the state, according to posts online.

On April 22, Harden failed to appear at the arraignment on the stolen Prius charge and a warrant was issued for his arrest by Hillsborough County sheriffs, according to superior court records.

Nashua police arrested Hardin on June 8. He was arraigned on the stolen gun charges the next day. Hardin is due back in Hillsborough County Superior Court South for a dispositional conference on the charges on Aug. 18.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Merrimack Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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