LEWISTON — Doors were locked and windows bolted Wednesday night after a suspect robbed Tim Hortons and led police on a wild foot chase through the Sabattus Street end of the city.

The 8:15 p.m. heist at the Sabattus Street coffee shop sent police chasing a suspect who darted along side streets and parking lots before slipping into the woods off the end of Goulet Street.

By 9 p.m., police were watching the wooded area between Farwell Street and Webber Avenue, as well as several side streets and trails.

Police said the drama began when the suspect ordered coffee and a doughnut before showing the clerk a note, demanding money and threatening to kill her. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

The suspect fled on foot, according to witnesses. As officers arrived, another woman called to report that the suspect had asked her for a ride in the lot behind Holy Family Church on Sabattus Street.

Moments after police arrived there, another sighting came in. This time, the suspect was spotted next to an apartment on Genest Street. Several officers scoured the area as the witness tried to guide them to the suspect. A short time later, the suspect was spotted again, this time on Goulet Street, a dead-end that runs off nearby Farwell Street.

Police said the suspect was last seen running into the woods, possibly onto the trails around Garcelon Bog. That sent officers rushing to Webster Street and several side streets near the woods. Some people who live in that area reported they were locking their doors and staying awake until the suspect was captured.

“I am alone with my baby,” one woman said. “This is really scary. I should be able to take my trash cans in at night without someone running around threatening to hurt people.”

By 9 p.m., the suspect remained on the loose and police had called for a tracking dog from the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department. At 9:15 p.m., the dog and its handler arrived on Goulet Street and a search of the woods began.

Back at Tim Hortons, police kept the store secure while their investigation got under way. The clerk was not hurt in the heist.

The suspect was described as a white man wearing a puffy coat, jeans and dirty sneakers. Witnesses said he may have cuts on his face.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lewiston police Detective Carly Conley at 513-3001, extension 3322, or their local police department.