WATERVILLE — A man who allegedly stole a woman’s purse from inside her unlocked car Saturday after she went into the Waterville post office on College Avenue is heading to court.

Nicholas Nelson, 26, of 1 Newhall St., Fairfield, was summoned Saturday in the incident, which occurred at 3:10 p.m., according to Waterville police Chief Joseph Massey.

Nelson is scheduled to appear Nov. 14 in Kennebec County Superior Court on charges of class D burglary and class C felony theft, he said.

Massey said a witness driving out of the post office parking lot stopped when he saw a man running and get into a vehicle. The witness wrote down the registration plate number of that vehicle, according to Massey. As the woman whose purse was stolen came out of the post office, she saw the man running and noticed her purse was gone from the seat of her car, so she called police.

Dispatchers checked the plate number and within 10 minutes, police Officer Ryan Dinsmore saw the vehicle on Silver Street and stopped it, according to Massey. Nelson was issued a summons.

Massey said there was less than $10 in the woman’s purse.

The incident highlights how important it is for people to lock their vehicles, even if they are leaving it for just a moment, Massey said.

“People definitely need to lock their car doors and if they put valuables in there, put them out of sight,” he said. “To leave your car unlocked and a purse on the seat, you might as well put out a sign that says, ‘Purse up for grabs here.'”

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17