AUGUSTA — Police say they think they’ve solved the mystery of who is behind a string of thefts of lawn ornaments over the last six months, and now they need help from the owners.

Augusta police Lt. Chris Massey said today the department is asking residents to provide a detailed description — and photos, if they have them — of items that were stolen.

He said some people previously provided good descriptions, but some reports are not detailed enough to reunite the owners with their property.

Massey said Sgt. Dan Boivin was investigating a separate incident earlier this week and ended up interviewing a man who told police he had committed a number of the thefts of gnomes, solar lights and other outdoor decorations this spring and summer.

Massey also said the man — whom he would not identify yet — was cooperating with authorities to try to return the property to the rightful owners.

“Some of our reports are pretty descriptive on the type of ornament,” Massey said. “Some are not as descriptive.”

Massey said the suspect has been charged with theft and has a November court date but is not in custody, and the investigation is continuing.

“The dollar amount doesn’t appear to be that high, but some of the lawn ornaments may have sentimental value,” Massey said.

He asked theft victims to contact Boivin at 626-2370, ext. 5012.