Walmart shoplifter at large after Augusta police question suspect who wasn’t

AUGUSTA — City police thought they knew who stole from Walmart four times in three days, but when he came in for an interview Saturday, they decided it wasn’t him.

On Saturday, the Walmart on Civic Center Drive reported that a white, bearded man in his early 20s stole electronics twice from the store, said Sgt. Christopher Shaw of the Augusta Police Department, who added that the same man is suspected in Thursday and Friday shoplifting incidents at the store.

But when police responded to the store’s call at 3:44 p.m. on Saturday, Shaw said the suspect had already run into the woods, dropping a bag of stolen items behind him.

On Saturday, Shaw said he thought police had the perpetrator identified as a Waterville man with a history with police, but they wanted to talk to him before arresting him.

Shaw said that the man, however, ended up calling police over the weekend, saying “I hear you’re looking for me.” The man came in Sunday thinking he was going to be arrested, Shaw said.

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But when he got there, Shaw said police quickly determined that the Waterville man wasn’t the suspect after a review of security camera footage, which was “very shocking,” even to the man, who admitted he looked a little like the person in the video. The suspect is still at large.

“We just don’t know who it is,” Shaw said.

Anyone with information about the incident can call Augusta police at 626-2370.

Dresden man, three kids charged in Arsenal invasion

AUGUSTA — A young Dresden man and three youths were summoned after police say they were caught in one of the historic Kennebec Arsenal buildings on the city’s east side.

At 11:06 p.m., police fielded a report of trepassing at the property, on Arsenal Street. When Augusta police arrived, Sgt. Christopher Shaw said they saw a light moving inside one of the buildings. An officer entered the building through a bulkhead and found Steven Hubert, 18, of Dresden, along with three juveniles, two of them 17 and the other 15.

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All were cited for criminal trespassing and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors.

Pellet stove sparks minor blaze in Farmingdale garage

FARMINGDALE — Hot embers from a pellet stove sparked a minor fire on the side of a garage on Edmond Street on Saturday afternoon.

Farmingdale Fire Chief Dana Mealey said the owner of the home cleaned out his stove earlier in the day and transferred the ashes to a plastic wheelbarrow, which he put just behind his garage.

“He didn’t think there were any hot embers in it, but apparently there was,” Mealey said.

The wheelbarrow melted and the embers blew against the garage, but the chief said the department put out the fire on that side of the garage in about five minutes, and the damage left behind was only cosmetic. Phone records indicate that the garage and the small, blue house in the Hayford Heights neighborhood is owned by Trevor Dupont.

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Augusta

Saturday

At 3:54 p.m., shoplifting was reported at the Hannaford supermarket on Whitten Road.

5:11 p.m., criminal threatening was reported on North Street.

6:56 p.m., mentally disturbed persons were reported on Court Street.

11:26 p.m., a motor-vehicle burglary was reported at Sears on Whitten Road.

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Sunday

At 12:04 a.m., a motor-vehicle burglary was reported at Bridge Street Tavern.

2:41 a.m., assault was reported at the Cumberland Farms convenience store on Mt. Vernon Avenue.

7:40 a.m., a disorderly house was reported on Northern Avenue.

10:33 p.m., shoplifting was reported at Aubuchon Hardware on Bangor Street.

11:59 a.m., a motor-vehicle accident causing property damage was reported on Mt. Vernon Avenue.

2:46 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Western Avenue.


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