An 18-year-old Bath man has been arrested for the second time in three weeks, this time on a charge of possessing a stolen firearm, according to Lt. Robert Savary of the Bath Police Department.

Savary said the .380-caliber handgun was stolen Monday from an unlocked car at 667 Middle St. in Bath.

Damon Peacock, who was arrested in connection with the firearm theft, was arrested last month on a charge of stealing a 1997 Ford Explorer in Bath.

“We want to emphasize responsible gun ownership. Firearms should be stored in a safe place. If left in a car, it needs to be locked. We are fortunate that this stolen gun was not used to hurt anyone,” Savary said in a statement Tuesday.

Bath police said they received a report Monday of a motor vehicle stolen from 508 Middle St. The vehicle was recovered later in the day at the Oak Grove Avenue cemetery. Investigators found a spent shell casing from a .380-caliber handgun inside the vehicle.

Officers determined that the motor vehicle theft and firearm theft were related. They also obtained information that led them to Peacock, who had gone to a home on Chops Cross Road in Woolwich. Officers went to the home and located the stolen weapon.

Peacock was charged with receiving stolen property, a Class B felony, in connection with the gun theft. He has not been charged in connection with the second car theft, but police say additional charges are likely. Peacock is being held at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset pending his arraignment on March 7.