News 9 Exclusive: Man Sought in Teen Biting Incident at New England Dragway

Local Community Grapples with Disturbing Incident at New England Dragway

Residents in Epping are coming to terms with a disturbing incident that occurred over the weekend at the New England Dragway. Authorities are currently working to identify a man accused of physically assaulting a minor during an event that left the victim and his family deeply shaken.

Sue Heiten, the mother of the alleged victim, shared her account of what happened. Her 15-year-old son, Cole Heiten, was bitten by a man who then fled the scene on Saturday evening. According to Sue, the attack began when Cole confronted one of the man’s friends about urinating in front of the crowd.

“He bit his arm and just clamped down and held it, and he bit right through his sweatshirt and just left this awful mark,” she said, describing the severity of the incident.

The confrontation reportedly escalated after Cole and his family were walking to get food when they were approached by two men. Cole explained that the men had been hiding beneath the stands and emerged unexpectedly.

“The man kind of stared at him down kind of aggressively,” Sue Heiten recalled. She added that the man who had been urinating hit Cole in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Another individual then bit him.

Cole described the moment of the attack as terrifying. “Once I realized, I started yelling out for my friend, trying to get him off me, tried to shake him off me,” he said, recalling how he struggled to free himself from the attacker.

Epping police are actively searching for at least one suspect and have released an image of a man described as middle-aged and unshaven. The individual was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with a Nike swoosh, navy blue Nike shorts, a black and white trucker-style hat, and sunglasses.

Heiten's family believes the man in the white hat was responsible for hitting Cole, while the man in the red hat allegedly bit him. Sue Heiten called the incident traumatic, expressing her fear that the attack was premeditated.

“To know that it was a grown man that attacked this young boy and really lurked in the dark and snuck up on him. It just, it was like a planned, scary predator thing to me, and that just made it devastating,” she said.

Cole was taken to a local hospital and placed on antibiotics as a precaution. The New England Dragway has since issued a statement expressing concern over the incident and emphasizing their commitment to guest safety.

“Our thoughts are with the young man who was injured on Saturday and his family,” the dragway stated. “The safety of our guests is our top priority at New England Dragway, and we are taking this incident very seriously. We are fully cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation and are grateful to those who have come forward with information. If anyone has additional details, we encourage them to share them with the Epping Police Department.”

Epping police are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact them directly. They are hoping the community can help bring the suspect to justice.

As the investigation continues, the local community remains concerned about the safety of its members and the need for vigilance in public spaces. This incident has sparked conversations about how to prevent such attacks and ensure that all individuals feel safe when attending events.