BANGOR, Maine — Bangor police Detective Sgt. Paul Kenison stopped by Fairmount Market to get some lunch late Monday morning when he recognized a second man wanted in connection with last week’s robbery of a Rite Aid pharmacy, Sgt. Paul Edwards said.
The Rite Aid, located at the corner of Union and Fourteenth streets, was robbed about 4:50 p.m. Oct. 8, and three people were handcuffed and taken into custody about an hour later at 27 Webster Ave. North. Only one of them, John D. Harmon Jr., 27, of Dover-Foxcroft, was arrested. He was charged with Class B felony robbery.
The man Kenison spotted, Kirk DePhilippo, 24, of Bangor, was arrested about noon Monday and also charged with felony robbery, Edwards said.
“He’s a second suspect they were looking for all along,” the sergeant said. “One person went in and robbed it and one person drove them off.”
Harmon went into the Union Street drugstore on Oct. 8 and demanded drugs, witnesses and Edwards said. Harmon was caught on Webster Avenue about 70 minutes later.
Bangor police officers and members of Bangor’s special response team surrounded the house and evacuated nearby neighbors and residents at Bangor Efficiency Apartments at 513 Hammond St. before entering the home.
Police recovered a gray sedan, which they believe was the getaway car, on Webster Avenue, Edwards said. “They arrested Harmon and had more information that this other fellow [DePhilippo] was involved and didn’t put that out.”
When Kenison arrived Monday at Fairmount Market to get his lunch, DePhilippo was hanging around outside in a gray hooded sweatshirt, according to Edwards. The detective sergeant called for a marked unit to come arrest the suspect.
DePhillippo left the store, crossed the street and was arrested near the bulkhead of a duplex near the end of Dean Street. Sgt. Ed Potter and Officer Jason Stuart made the arrest.
Harmon also has been charged with Class B aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly hitting another man over the head with a beer bottle earlier on Oct. 8, Edwards said Monday.
“They were arguing over drugs and he got hit in the head,” the sergeant said of the 24-year-old victim.
Officers Paul Colley and Dan Sanborn arrived at the Hammond Street apartment at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 8 and found the man with blood on his face and head. He was taken by ambulance to Eastern Maine Medical Center for glass in his eye, Edwards said.
After interviewing people at the Hammond Street apartment, police began looking for Harmon. Sanborn caught up with him that evening at the jail — where he had been taken for the Rite Aid robbery — and charged him with the felony aggravated assault charge, Edwards said.
DePhilippo also was arrested April 11 after Bangor police officers were called to handle a fight on Grove Street and found him with the synthetic drug bath salts, according to Bangor Daily News archives.
He was convicted of unlawful possession of synthetic hallucinogenic drugs later in April, sentenced to 48 hours in jail and fined $400, the BDN listings state.
The Oct. 8 Rite Aid robbery was the fourth to occur at the same location in the last six months and the second in 10 days.
good to see they are getting some of these guys
You can run but you can not hide!
good keep up the pace BPD mabee this nonsene will end
Like father, like son.
The Rite-Aid now has an armed security officer, which I didn’t think would happen but I highly doubt anyone will attempt to rob it now because of his Hummer that sits in the parking lot with the word security written all over it in huge letters. So now they will find a store without an armed guard and rob that one.
That is a good thing that they have an armed guard. But on the other hand it is also a sad thing that Bangor has come to this.
Sometimes good, sometimes not. I was in a 7/11 in Worcester when a kid came in waving a gun, and demanding money. He shot at the clerk, The security guard (who I never saw until the shooting started) shot at the robber, but missed and hit an elderly woman who was just entering the store. The kid returned fire, and missed the security guard, and hit a stock clerk who was running for the back door. The security guard shot the kid.
Score, one killed (the stock clerk) three injured including the counterman, the robber, and the elderly woman who had to have her arm removed.
Admittedly Bangor is not Main South in Worcester, but lets make sure we have our targets lined up before we start shooting.
Typical loser!
Nice shot Photographer!
Loser!
All these stories about pharmacy thefts makes me afraid to pick up my scripts. It’s only a matter of time before guys like this stop taking their chances indoors and turn to hitting old ladies over the head in the parking lot.
can you use a pharmacy with the drive thru?
Thank you Sgt. Paul Kenison for keeping our streets safe!
Good work, Bangor Police. Let’s hope the editors paste this on Page One.
I doubt that the perps past, present, future are reading…
The BEST cops, catch the WORST criminals!
Congratulations, Detective Sgt. Paul Kenison!
BPD ROCKS!
And apparently Kirk was officially identified by his MaineCare card, go figure!
(reference the card attached to the officer’s uniform).
That looks like an ebt card- Mainecare cards are green and white- I work in a Dr’s office.
Thanks for the correction!
Real rocket scientists. Commit a serious crime in a small town and then just hang around the vicinity in public slacking off as usual. Brilliant.
Hey NICE hoody.
Indeed like father like Son..