Police investigate
numerous reports
of broken windows
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Police are currently investigating a rash of criminal mischief reports involving broken windows on vehicles, at residences and businesses and that the person or persons responsible may be using a BB gun.
The Presque Isle Police Department received its first report of a broken window a few days before Christmas. The first call was received on Dec. 22 at about 8:33 p.m. from a male reporting the driver’s side front window had been broken on a vehicle parked at Marden’s. Sgt. Mark Barnes responded and was told nothing appeared to be missing from the vehicle.
A second call was received at around 9:32 p.m. from a Canadian woman stating she was at the Aroostook Centre Mall shopping and when she returned to her vehicle she discovered the window of her vehicle had been broken. Officer Kevin Schumacher responded to investigate.
About 20 minutes later, police received another call from a second woman at the mall reporting she discovered the rear window of her vehicle broken while parked at the mall. Officer Kevin Reed was assigned.
A third woman called from the mall around 10:22 p.m. and told the dispatcher at the PIPD that she had parked in front of JC Penney and when she returned to her van, she discovered two passenger side windows smashed. Schumacher met with the owner to get the details.
A Maple Street business was the next to place a call to the PIPD. Around 7:49 a.m. on Dec. 23, the owner of Cushman’s Embroidery notified police that sometime in the night someone had shot out one of the business’s front windows and shot holes in a couple other windows. Officer Rob Thibeault was assigned to investigate.
Three businesses reported similar occurrences on Christmas Day.
At about 12:26 a.m. Dec. 25, a tenant in one of the apartments at Budget Traveler on the Houlton Road reported hearing a loud noise that sounded like something had struck the building. He went to investigate and saw a broken window. He told police he saw a vehicle leave the parking lot about the same time. Det. Bill Scull responded and determined the window was most likely struck by a BB. A short time later the facility’s manager notified the PIPD that the front door had been damaged.
Around 2 p.m. Christmas Day, the owner of Ace Rent-A-Car on Industrial St. also reported finding a broken window on a van parked at his business. Officer Chris Hayes responded. Damage was estimated at about $600.
The owner of Merchants on the Corner, located on Main Street, called police around 3 p.m. on Christmas, advising she too had discovered a broken window at her store. She told police the damage appeared to have been caused by a BB.
Calls continued to come in Dec. 26, the first of the day received around 10:59 a.m. from a Cook Street resident reporting three windows in her house were damaged sometime the night before. She estimated the damage to be around $600. She asked that her report be kept on file for possible restitution, should the person responsible be caught.
On Dec. 27 a State Street business reported finding windows broken. Around 8:10 a.m. the business owner’s wife called police, indicating sometime over the weekend someone shot up their front plate glass windows with BBs. Hayes responded to investigate. Damage was estimated between $1,200-1,500.
Police estimate damage to date is upward of $10,000 or more.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the PIPD at 764-4476.
