MINOT – Police investigating a string of construction site burglaries have been looking for any clues they can get. Investigators may have gotten the break they needed after the thief made a significant error during a recent heist.

“The suspect left a baseball hat at the scene,” said Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Detective Reilly Bryant.

Police are hoping the hat will lead them to the person responsible for more than a half dozen burglaries in Minot, Hebron and Durham.

Investigators say the heists have occurred over the past two weeks, mostly at sites where homes are being built or remodeled. The thief has driven to the scenes and made off with plywood, building materials, tools and flooring. The suspect has also taken a furnace, stove and a refrigerator from some of the sites.

“Whatever they can get into a truck, they are stealing,” Bryant said.

One construction site on the Simion Road in Minot was hit twice – once last week and again on Monday. Other construction sites on the Death Valley Road and Center Minot Hill Road have also been hit.

Maine State Police are investigating the heists in Durham, while the sheriff’s department works the cases in Minot and Hebron.

Bryant said there is evidence the suspect has been driving to the scenes in a truck with dual tires, another clue the detective hopes will lead to the identity of the thief.

“Between that and the hat, maybe someone out there can give us some information,” Bryant said.

The hat is considered the most significant clue. It is a blue baseball cap with auto racing insignia on it, including the number eight and the word “Oreo.” Bryant is asking that anyone with information about its owner – or about the thefts – call him at 784-7361, extension 220.

Meanwhile, police are advising that people with homes being built or repaired take steps to protect their property. Access to the site should be blocked off to vehicles, Bryant said. And neighbors should be advised to call for police if they see strange vehicles or people in the area.