BANGOR, Maine — The man arrested Friday after carjacking a van and leading police on a high-speed chase began his crime spree minutes earlier by stealing from a different vehicle, according to police.
Brian Swett, a 31-year-old transient, faces a litany of charges including theft, robbery, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, operating without a license, criminal speeding and driving to endanger.
At 3:10 p.m., about 10 or 15 minutes before the carjacking, an officer was dispatched to 96 Harlow St. to investigate a motor vehicle burglary. Witnesses reported a man had broken into a car, setting off the car alarm before taking something from the vehicle and walking down Franklin Street, Bangor police Sgt. James Buckley said Saturday. Other witnesses reported that the man had been hitting vehicle windows in the Abbott Square parking area, apparently trying to break the windows and gain access to the vehicles.
Witnesses told police the man was wearing a “ratty whitish shirt, blue jean shorts and a dark baseball cap,” according to Buckley, who said Swett’s clothing matched that description when he was arrested.
By the time the responding officer made it to the scene, Swett had made his way farther down Harlow Street, possibly traveling along the Kenduskeag Stream.
Police later found the purse on the bank of the stream in the area behind the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building.
“It was all recovered and given back to the owner,” according to Buckley.
Around 3:25 p.m., police received a call reporting that a woman had been forced from her vehicle while parked on the side of the street outside 262 Harlow St., Bangor police Sgt. Bob Bishop said Friday night.
Swett allegedly approached a woman, who was sitting in her vehicle while it was parked on the street and told her she was being robbed, Bishop said. The woman stepped out and Swett drove off with her gold Chrysler van.
The victim did not know Swett, Bishop said.
Minutes later, Maine State Police Trooper Kyle Ouellette, who was traveling south on I-95, saw a vehicle matching the description of the stolen van driving in the northbound lane.
Ouellette turned and followed the van, which eventually exited the interstate in Orono and then got back on in the southbound lane and headed back toward Bangor.
The trooper attempted to stop the van, but Swett continued to drive, accelerating to nearly 100 mph as the chase approached Bangor, Ouellette said Friday.
When Swett encountered a police roadblock just past the Hogan Road on ramp to I-95 south, he turned into oncoming traffic that was heading down the on ramp in an attempt to elude police.
State police Detective Brian Strout ran into the van’s rear, disabling the fleeing vehicle and knocking off its bumper, according to Ouellette. The van also struck a dark blue Audi that was on the ramp.
Swett then submitted to arrest about 3:40 p.m.
Swett invoked his right to remain silent and did not explain to officers why he allegedly stole the van, Ouellette said. He did not mention the car burglaries from 30 minutes earlier.
If at first you don’t succeed…In the case, he should have just quit while he was behind.
Wow that sounds like a blast! I wish I could be a transient with nothing to lose.
Another transient druggie/dealer up from NJ. He just got out of prison for selling heroin.
This was not a video game, this was real life. How many peoples live were put in danger by this guy? The cops trying to stop him, all the other people on the roadway at the time. Very lucky no one was killed or injured. He needs to spend some quality time in a 4 x 8 cell.
what the fizz bangor?
why are all the “transients” showing up there?
Betcha he frequents the Hope House.
My fathers girlfriend left her keys, cigs, and about 23$ worth of change in her unlocked car on State Street, came out to find her doors locked which she just brushed off then someone helped her get in and she noticed that her shyt was gone! They even took the keys! lol why they didint take the car I dont know but dont leave keys in cars anymore people :D
I love how the news never attributes the rising crime in bangor to that garbage casino they have there. It’s well known across the country that with gambling comes drugs and crime. Just look at the facts, wherever there is a casino in this country drug use and crime is high. Just look at bangor from the year the casino opened till now and you will see the very high steady rise in drug crime and just overall crime every year since it opened. Im just stating the facts.
I know I joke about the casino being the issue at stake but in reality this is not the case. The problem with whats happening in Bangor is what I’ve said over and over and over again and continue to not get attention for it. SO I decided to copy paste my statement once again for the betterment of the community:
its a secret that the both the city and the newspaper don’t want to be
known publicly. If my post gets deleted (and I do at times write jocular
comments – this not being one of them I understand why I’m flagged) its
because they don’t want it known.
In 2008 I was a student at Husson University where one of my professors
took our class on a “field trip” to meet then mayor/city manager
Susan
Hawes (I think thats what her name was). As part of the class we had to
come up questions in a journalistic view. One of my classmates put the
question to the city manager/mayor why (at that time compared to now its
more poignant) there was an increase of crime. The answer from her was:
The city gets what is essentially “kickbacks” from the federal and
state
governments, private and public programs, and other sources to
“accept”
more homeless, addicts, criminals, mentally challenged and other ‘bad
seeds’ such as funding for city projects – like the waterfront, and
downtown revitalization and police force enlargement among other things.
I use the term “accept” these people by evidence of the opening of
homeless shelters, the allowing of panhandling and homeless sleeping in
city parks, methadone clinics, and offerings to other people who have
disabilities or in effect allowing people to stay here and giving them
‘free roam’ of the city. I don’t know what the current policy is but I
do know that they advertised it and in many other cities Bangor has sunk
its teeth into getting people who have issues like these to come here
for the benefits.
I don’t know about you or anyone else but I think its time for the city
to stop allowing people to have ‘free roam.’ Granted its not an
overnight thing but more patrols in seedy areas such as Capehart, Outer
Hammond Street, Pickering Square and in general other unsafe areas are
needed. Arrest or at least detain panhandlers on stillwater avenue – I
went there today and I counted 6 of them up and down the street. Arrest
or at least “move along” homeless from city parks and recreational
areas
– theres no reason for kids – hell even adults like ourselves to be
exposed to it. Patrol the homeless shelter and the park nearby – as much
drug dealing, and other crimes are in that area. THere are more murders
in Bangor on Main Street from the Main Street Tavern to Manna
Ministries than in the entire city.
Bangor needs to clean up its mess – and again
I’m sorry if this gets
deleted because bangor doesn’t want this to be known. But I am pleading
with you to change the course. I have a hard time coming to bangor and
seeing what it has become. And one more other thing – squash the lolipop
guild gang before it expands. If you don’t know what I mean take a look
You mean you are stating coincidence, not the facts. Yes, crime is up. Yes, we have a casino. The to aren’t related. Just because you don’t like the casino, doesn’t mean IT is the problem. If what you state was true, then that would correlate to all people that are breaking the law now once used to gamble there, and now choose to get into trouble. Or the trouble makers like to live in towns that casino’s are located in. Maybe in Vegas or Atlantic City some of what you say is true, but for Bangors problem, Al Brady nails it right on the head. I know it’s not a popular answer, but it’s the truth.
Yes, because the news should obviously print “Guy steals van, says the casino made him do it.”
A transient seizes a woman’s car on Harlow Street. Hard to believe what is happening in Bangor and other communities across the state. Police foot patrols might help.
Bangor does have foot patrols downtown.
They need more.
Remember when stealing a car was considered really big and it was known as Grand Theft Auto? When did it change that only a valuable car is now considered to be that? I honestly dont get the terminology they use or the huge ammount of misdemeanors we have on the books. Maybe, just maybe, if there was a REAL threat of losing one’s freedom for breaking the law, then maybe they wouldnt take the chance to do it.
You raise a really good point. I would just add that any car is valuable to those dependent on it to get around. To steal a family’s beater is just as bad as to take the new car from the showroom in my opinion. It should all be considered Grand Theft Auto as far as I am concerned.