Someone smashed the passenger-side window of a car parked in the City Forest parking lot Saturday morning. The thief took a purse that was inside the vehicle, then used a stolen bank card to withdraw $500 in cash and make other purchases, police and the victim said Sunday.
The theft occurred between 8 and 8:40 a.m. in the Tripp Drive parking lot. Thousands of dollars’ worth of camera equipment was left in the back seat, the victim said.
Because the window was smashed to gain entry, the crime is a felony, Bangor police Sgt. Larry Webber.
“If you use force to get inside, it’s upped to a Class C” crime, he said.
Those convicted of Class C crimes face a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
The suspect or suspects used the stolen debit card to get cash advances of $200, $250 and $50 from various local Hannaford grocery stores and to purchase $60 in groceries, the victim said. The thief also made purchases at McDonald’s and Circle K, she said.
The victim was able to cancel all of her credit cards before any transactions were made and put a hold on her bank account, but by then the thefts already had occurred. Her purse also contained her driver’s license and “hundreds of dollars in gift cards” given to her for Christmas.
Police have no leads in the case, but are reviewing surveillance tapes from Hannaford, the investigating officer told the victim. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)
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A Hampden teenager has been charged with felony burglary after he reportedly broke a window at a Stillwater convenience store early Saturday morning and took more than $3,000 in cigarettes.
The 17-year-old male’s name is not being released, Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards said in a press release Sunday. A canine unit was dispatched to Doc’s Place around 3:40 a.m. but did not find any suspects or evidence. A break in the case came when information about the crime was reported to police who found and arrested the teenager at an Ohio Street residence. The stolen property was recovered, Edwards said. The suspect was charged with Class C burglary and released to the custody of his parents, Sgt. Larry Webber said Sunday. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)