A Boston man accused of firing a handgun at a man in the parking lot of the Derby Walmart Supercenter

A Boston man accused of firing a handgun at a man in the parking lot of the Derby Walmart Supercenter on Wednesday afternoon is in custody. Wellington Arias, 21, is facing charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and auto theft.  A report by State Trooper Nathan Handy notes that police were alerted to the shooting  at the Walmart in Derby about 4:25 p.m. on Wednesday. Responding troopers determined that Jason Willey, 40, no fixed address, and Arias were in a confrontation in the parking lot, and at some point Arias reportedly fired a handgun in Willey’s direction; the bullet ricocheted off the pavement, Trooper Handy noted, but no injuries were reported. Arias then allegedly stole a gray Chevrolet Equinox from Willey and drove away before state police arrived. State police believe he switched vehicles to a Nissan Altima before heading south on I91. State police upon responding, were able to determine Arias as the suspect and issued a “Be on the lookout” for the vehicle taken from the parking lot and the suspect.  A few minutes before 6 p.m., a trooper monitoring traffic on Interstate 91 in Lyndonville saw a Nissan Altima going 97 mph in the northbound lane. State police did not report at what point they believe Arias changed directions on the interstate prior to being stopped in Lyndonville. The trooper stopped the Altima and identified the operator as Arias; state police in Derby confirmed Arias was the suspect in the shooting, and he was arrested and taken to the Derby barracks. A judge ordered Arias be held without bail and lodged at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport. He was scheduled for arraignment in Orleans Superior Court on Thursday afternoon.