BELFAST, Maine — A Lincolnville man was arrested following a brazen Monday afternoon burglary of a Main Street business and apartment.
Gregory Bussiere, 53, was arrested at approximately 4 p.m. after police pulled over the taxicab he used as a getaway car. Bussiere will be charged with two counts of burglary, theft, attempted burglary and criminal mischief. The items taken from the Wanderbird Cruises office on Main Street and the apartment of owners Rick and Karen Miles were recovered from the taxi.
Belfast Detective Michael McFadden said Lincolnville Police Officer Glen Graef had been looking for Bussiere after receiving a report earlier that day that he had threatened to kill his brother with whom he had been staying.
Graef tracked Bussiere to Rollie’s Bar and Grill on Main Street and was on his way to meet him there when Bussiere called a cab and left. A witness at Rollie’s said Bussiere was carrying pieces of luggage when he left.
At approximately the same time, the police department received a report of a break-in at Wanderbird Cruises and the Miles apartment upstairs. The Wanderbird building is two doors down from Rollie’s. McFadden said native artifacts, money, a laptop computer and merchandise were taken from the business and apartment.
“It was a brazen burglary, [in] daylight on Main Street,” McFadden said Tuesday. “He kicked the front door in and loaded up all kinds of stuff. The artifacts were in glass display cases and he ripped them from the wall.”
McFadden said he suspected Bussiere was involved because of the time frame and the fact that he left Rollie’s while Graef was on his way to speak with him. McFadden said Graef was alerted to the cab’s destination and arrested Bussiere.
“This guy was literally still carrying all the stolen property,” McFadden said.
Bussiere was taken to the Waldo County Jail on charges of terrorizing, domestic violence and harassment by telephone. Bail was set at $1,000, and additional charges are expected.