March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Residents help foil burglary in Newport

NEWPORT — A commendable effort by several local residents helped Newport police apprehend two Etna men and charge them with burglary late Thursday night, according to Chief James Ricker.

An audible alarm at the Newport Redemption Center was the first indication of the burglaries between 9:30 and 10 p.m., Ricker said. By 3 a.m., the men were in custody and on their way to the Penobscot County Jail.

Randy Hopkins, 31, and Robert A. Bailey, 20, both of Etna, were charged with burglary at the redemption center and the Newport Mobil station.

Police Sgt. Sanger Davis responded to the alarm at the redemption center and immediately called for support. Entry to the building was gained by prying a board off a window, Ricker said. The suspects reportedly took or attempted to take cigarette cartons at that site. Surveying the area for more problems, Officer Brent Beaulieu discovered a smashed door at the Newport Mobil station on Main Street, Ricker said. Beer was reported stolen at the Mobil site.

“Of course, it was real hectic around here [Thursday night],” said Ricker. “We put out the information over the air to other units for help. Within minutes, calls were coming into our central dispatch with information, I suppose from people listening to their police scanners. This was commendable service on the part of our citizens. This is the first time in my 15 years here that we’ve had so many people trying to help us solve a crime.”


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