AUGUSTA — A local man is facing several charges after allegedly breaking into a Green Street home and attempting to obtain money via threats.
Jake Pilsbury, 20, a transient staying in the Augusta area, was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with theft by extortion, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, burglary and illegal possession of scheduled drugs.
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Pilsbury, formerly of Somerville, was being held Tuesday at the Kennebec County jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.
“He was arrested as a result of an ongoing investigation into a burglary at 81 Green St.,” said Augusta police Lt. Keith Brann. “Additional charges are possible.”
While the investigation may lead to other suspects, Brann said police believe any additional charges will be brought only against Pilsbury.
Police believe Pilsbury broke into the Green Street home Saturday evening.
Brann declined to specify what, if anything, was taken during the burglary; but he said Pilsbury later contacted the victim via telephone.
“The extortion concerns use of the victim’s cellphone,” Brann said, “making calls to the victim asking for a sum of money.”
Brann said Pilsbury threats over the phone included the use of a firearm.
Pilsbury was arrested Monday afternoon after police arranged for the suspect, allegedly Pilsbury, to retrieve the items he demanded from a Dumpster outside a Mount Vernon Avenue business.
Augusta police logs indicate the initial burglary was reported shortly after 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The logs include a complaint of threatening at 4 a.m. Monday and another at 12:21 p.m. Monday, about two hours before Pilsbury was arrested.
“There was cooperation with the victim and with us,” Brann said. “We set up a scenario where he was asking for items and we were able to have him respond.”
Pilsbury was arrested without incident.
Saturday’s break-in occurred within days of a daytime burglary of a home at 54 Green St. In that break-in, which occurred around 10 a.m. Oct. 25, a homeowner returned to find two people rifling through items in an upstairs bedroom.
Brann said at the time that a male wearing jeans and what was believed to be a hooded sweatshirt and woman, who was not described, fled down another staircase and out the door after noticing the homeowner in the house.
Brann said the pair escaped with a few unspecified items.
Part of the ongoing investigation is to determine whether Pilsbury played a role in that burglary, Brann said.
“We’re hoping it may shed some light on that,” he said.
Augusta police logs include a number of other burglaries in the area in recent weeks, including a report of burglary Monday at a home on Sewall Street. Police responded to six complaints of vehicle burglaries over the weekend on South Chestnut and Sewall streets.
Pilsbury was convicted previously of sale and use of drug paraphernalia this summer in Belfast District Court. He was ordered to pay a $300 fine.
Brann said there were no warrants for Pilsbury at the time of his arrest.
Brann praised the victims of Saturday’s Green Street burglary for their help in catching Pilsbury.
“They were great,” Brann said. “They helped us out all the way through it.”
Craig Crosby–621-5642
ccrosby@centralmaine.com
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