BANGOR, Maine — Maine State Police officials have charged two teenage boys with stealing eight cars in the past week from Farmingdale and causing damage to some of the cars and to the Litchfield Fairgrounds.
The boys, both 15, are from Farmingdale and Whitefield, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland said Wednesday in a news release.
McCausland said the two were apprehended Tuesday night after one of them was caught in the act of attempting to steal another car.
Seven of the cars were stolen from Maine Avenue Auto Sales, a Farmingdale used car dealer, McCausland said. He said troopers have had the dealership under surveillance since late last week.
The eighth vehicle was stolen next door from a resident of Foggy Bottom Campground. The teens face felony charges of theft, burglary, aggravated criminal mischief and misdemeanor unauthorized taking of a motor vehicle.
Sgt. Christopher Rogers said the thefts began on June 21, when a 1979 Porsche was stolen from the campground and later found running along Bowman Street in Farmingdale after residents called police about a car driving in their neighborhood erratically.
Among the seven vehicles stolen from the car lot was a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe that was later found inside one of the buildings at the Litchfield Fairgrounds. The SUV had also rammed the gate and damaged some of the fields at the fairgrounds.
Another stolen vehicle was found in the parking lot of Uncle Henry’s on Route 17 in Augusta and one of the cars had been returned to the car lot covered in mud and grass, both inside and out.
Last Friday morning, troopers responded to Pond Road in West Gardiner, where two more stolen cars were being used to damage fields, with one of the cars being left behind. Fields in Lincoln County also may have been damaged, McCausland said.
Troopers said the boys entered the office of the car lot, found car keys and then drove the vehicles off. Troopers said the teens caused more than $50,000 in damage.
Other cars stolen were two Subaru Outbacks, a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix and a 2003 Mazda Protege. In addition to the stolen cars and damage to the fairgrounds, the boys also stole a license plate from a parked car in Farmingdale. The license plate number was “STOL3N” and was recovered last night on one of the stolen cars.