WATERVILLE, Maine — A Waterville transient was arrested after breaking into the Pleasant Street home of a state legislator and stealing several items, including a handgun, according to police.
Waterville Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey said Thursday that Jessica Savage, 31, broke into the house just after noon Wednesday and took a laptop computer, a .22-caliber handgun and several credit cards.
Rumsey said the home belongs to Democratic Rep. Thomas Longstaff and his wife, Cindy, who called 911 after she discovered Savage had broken into the home.
“She saw a laptop was missing which had been on a desk inside the home,” Rumsey said.
The deputy chief said Savage had left behind a sweatshirt and a backpack. After calling 911, Cindy Longstaff left the home for a short period. When she returned home, the sweatshirt and backpack were gone, Rumsey said.
Longstaff next asked a couple walking in the area whether they had seen anybody, and they told her they had seen a woman with a backpack and sweatshirt walking down School Street.
Rumsey said it turned out to be Savage, and Longstaff not only called police, but also approached the suspect and took the laptop back.
“When [Savage] realized [Longstaff] was on the phone with police, she fled,” Rumsey said.
Longstaff was able to provide police the direction that Savage was running, and Officers Galen Estes and Dennis Picard wound up detaining her on Belmont Avenue. Officer Jennifer Weaver took Longstaff back to the scene.
Rumsey said the handgun that was taken from the home was not loaded. He said Savage also took some credit cards.
“We thought it was a pretty great effort by Mrs. Longstaff ,who had the forethought to call us and go out and find this person,” Rumsey said.
When police took Savage to the station, she claimed that a man abused her and forced her to break into the Longstaffs’ home against her will, according to Rumsey.
Savage did have bruises and scratches on her body, and police obtained an arrest warrant for Richard Rice, 48, of Waterville and took him into custody at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. He is facing charges of terrorizing and domestic assault.
Savage claimed that Rice threw her down a flight of stairs at his apartment, according to Rumsey.
Savage, who was taken to the Kennebec County Jail, is facing a Class B burglary charge. She also was charged with theft by unauthorized taking and possession of a firearm by a felon, both Class C offenses.
Police are attempting to determine whether the incident is related to a pair of burglaries last week, in which a cash drawer was stolen from a Dunkin’ Donuts and a cash register taken from a convenience store, according to Rumsey.
“We’re going to look at this and see if there may be any connections between previous crimes and this crime,” he said.
Savage’s first court appearance is scheduled for July 10 in Kennebec County Superior Court, and her bail was set at $1,500 cash. Rice is due in Waterville District Court on July 3. He was released on $700 unsecured bail after his arrest.
Im sure he didnt have to twist her arm to hard to get her to break in.
Sounds like he did. We do not know the whole story. Most of these transients have been let down so much in thier life. We all say well I did not have a Brady bunch childhood and I turned out OK. But not many of us really know or could understand.
I am amazed they filed charges, I would have believed that Democrat rep. Longstaff was willing to share his wealth with others.
Wait I was wrong, he wants to share other peoples money, not his..me bad.
Amazingly ignorant.
Come on she was probably some homeless person looking for a meal. perhaps she was looking for a ride to the polls….
Interesting twist. If he said he would kill her if she did not do it or tell the police. I think a jury would have a hard time convicting her. How could she prove it? Could be just an excuse but it sounds like the best one I have herd in a long time. We have no idea how much control some of these abusers have over thier victims. Hope she gets the help she needs to live a productive life. More likely than not she will be sent to jail to learn how to be a better criminal.
Beavis, heheh, his name is…
Perfect example of why your much likely to die by a gun by virtue of owning one, for the people who don’t believe the overwhelming statistical evidence.
Ignorance.
Ignorance of what? Certainly not the statistics.
turning this story into a political soap box is ignorant, let us forget the fact she is a legislature’s wife. Kudos to her for defending her property.
People do not tend to think with thier brains they tend to think with feelings. Call it delusional if you want. The perception that you are safer is sometimes better than being safer. Besides might we need guns to protect ourselves from our own government.
Haha, you’re a fool if you really believe your gun will protect you from the government if they decided to systematically take citizens out. They have weapons of mass destruction. Our military is stronger than the next 9 countries armed forces combined. Try thinking with your brain and not your feelings, and I assure you, you will live longer. The Second Amendment was written with the mindset that gov’t tyranny was a possibility. Muskets were the weapons. Clearly, it is outdated and allows more harm than good.
Ps, I will call it delusional.
Maybe so but if enough people would form a militia and they took us all out they would have no tax money left to run . The way I see it if we continue on the path we are one . Wealthy peoples income growing at a rate higher than inflation.( Nothing can grow at a rate higher than inflation for ever or it would be bigger then the GDP of the world). One day thier will be riots in the streets. Guns do not make you safer but it speeds up the process. We will see changes . I believe Erik Steel wrote an artical on guns . I defended him. Most people do not think logically they think with feelings and bias. Before the was In Iraq I opposed because I did not believe the WMD threat. Most people disagreed with me . What really turned me was Condi Rice saying the whole world thought he had them . Being a ham radio operator Talking to many people in other free countries they mostly thought we are nuts. It is never about what is right or wrong its about power greed and oppression. We have all the american myths that most buy into. Maybe it is just human nature to be patriotic . It just makes no sense to me. Thinking with your brain dose not make you popular.
Most people are delusional.
Most people are sheep.
Poor example. No shots fired, no one died. Only thing overwhelming is the huge stretch to reach that conclusion.