WAYNE — Just after a state trooper warned a Wayne man on Saturday that he’d be suspected if items disappeared in the area, the man allegedly stole power tools in broad daylight and told the trooper he did it to fuel his heroin habit.

Charles Reed, 35, of Wayne, was arrested on charges of burglary and theft after Trooper Dane Wing of the Maine State Police said he solved the burglary within 20 minutes after responding to two calls that involved Reed.

The first was a report of a suspicious person on Mullin Road, just off Route 133. Wing said he found Reed walking there and when he asked what he Reed doing, Wing said he told him he was looking for a lost dog.

Wing said he didn’t believe it, but Reed wasn’t carrying anything, so he let him go. However, Wing said he warned him: “If anything goes missing, you’re my No. 1 suspect.”

“Then he goes and does it,” Wing said.

Reed went to a construction site just down the road, stole a cart full of power tools and took them to his Main Street home, Wing said.

Advertisement

The victim reported the tools stolen at 1:26 p.m., and Wing said he went right to Reed’s home, where Reed confessed to stealing the tools, saying he and his wife are addicted to heroin. The tools were in a shed and were returned to the owner, Wing said.

Reed was taken to the Kennebec County jail in Augusta and released on $350 bail on Saturday, Wing said.

Michael Shepherd — 370-7652

mshepherd@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @mikeshepherdme


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.