BATH, Maine — A Bath man was arrested early Thursday morning after police say they spotted him driving a 1997 Ford Explorer that had been reported stolen Wednesday.
Damon Peacock, 18, was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, operating without a license, failure to stop and illegal possession of liquor by a minor, all misdemeanors, according to a news release from Bath police Chief Michael Field.
Just before 1 a.m. Thursday, Bath police Officer Nick Green spotted the red Ford Explorer on Front Street, according to Field. The vehicle had been reported stolen from High Street.
Green allegedly attempted to stop the vehicle, but Peacock allegedly ignored the lights and siren. With the assistance of Bath police Cpl. Jason Aucoin, the SUV was stopped at the intersection of Washington and Centre streets and Peacock was arrested.
Peacock remained in Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset on Thursday morning, held on $2,000 bail.
Police say a 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl also in the vehicle when it was stopped were questioned and released without being charged.
According to Field, Bath police have received a number of complaints of overnight thefts from unlocked vehicles in recent weeks, including three other vehicles reported stolen from the same area but later recovered without arrest. Police ask residents to remove keys from vehicles and lock them at night and to report any suspicious behavior.