A Lewiston man was arrested early Thursday morning after police say he stole two vehicles and led Brunswick police officers on a chase.
Daniel Chamberland, 31, was charged with reckless conduct, theft by unauthorized taking, attaching false plates, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property, according to Brunswick police Chief Scott Stewart, who added that other charges may follow.
Chamberland was also wanted for failure to appear at Lewiston District Court on a theft charge.
Police were called to River Road in Brunswick about 3 a.m. for a “suspicious” man who was going around asking residents to use their phones because he had “run out of gas,” according to Stewart. When one homeowner refused to give him a phone but offered to call someone for him, the man ran away, Stewart said.
When police arrived, they found a vehicle with stolen plates out of Lewiston in the driveway, according to Stewart.
Officers then learned a vehicle had been stolen nearby. It was located on River Road, and when officers attempted to pull it over, the driver took off and began throwing items stolen from another Brunswick home out of the window, Stewart said.
As speeds increased, officers stopped the pursuit. But the driver shortly turned the vehicle around and headed back toward the officers, who deployed a spike mat and disabled the vehicle, according to Stewart.
The man, later identified as Chamberland, fled the scene on foot, but was found a short time later and arrested without incident, Stewart said.
Stewart said an investigation determined Chamberland had stolen another vehicle on Wednesday evening in Topsham. It was recovered and returned to its owner.
Chamberland was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he was treated for a minor ankle injury. He was later taken to the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, where he was being held on $5,000 bail.