RUMFORD – Two Rumford men and a woman are charged in connection with a break-in Monday at Aubuchon Hardware on Falmouth Street in which tools and a safe with $640 were stolen.
Anthony Scott, 23, Michelle Shaker, 18, and Brandon Nichols, 20, were arrested Tuesday by Rumford police in connection with the pre-dawn burglary, Detective Sgt. George Cayer said.
More arrests are expected, he said, and police are searching for the second of two vehicles believed involved in the crime.
Cayer said an Aubuchon Hardware employee called the station at 6:50 a.m. Monday to report the burglary. He said police believe Nichols and Scott used pry bars to break through a section of the wall above the building’s rear double doors. The men reportedly then crawled through the 14-by-20-inch hole.
“They are very skinny,” Cayer added.
A toilet was damaged when the two men dropped into a restroom, he said.
During the estimated 60 minutes the suspects were inside, a cash register area was ransacked, tools were strewn about the store, and evidence was found that they tried to break into the safe using pry bars, hacksaws, sledge hammers, cutting tools and chisels.
“Numerous tools were damaged. They even went through a couple of hacksaw blades,” Cayer said.
The suspects then hauled the safe out through the rear doors using a dolly, up over an embankment and onto Cumberland Street.
At 10:40 a.m. Tuesday, one suspect was found hiding in an apartment and detained for questioning. At noon, the safe was recovered off Norton Road in Dixfield. It had been opened with electric drills and a pry bar, which were recovered, Detective Lt. Stacy Carter said.
“Soon after the safe was recovered, additional evidence and information developed, resulting in the arrest of Shaker. She was recorded on videotape at two Farmington banks exchanging what we believed to be stolen coins and $1 bills from the safe for larger denomination bills,” Cayer said.
One of two vehicles used in the crimes was also found along with burglar tools.
Scott is charged with felony burglary, aggravated theft and aggravated criminal mischief. He was also arrested on a probation violation and being held without bail.
Probation officer Michael Downs said there are cases pending against Scott in Franklin, Oxford and Cumberland counties, and in New Hampshire.
“He’s got a probation revocation pending against him in Franklin County Superior Court, one in Oxford County Superior Court, and now this one,” Downs said. All three violations allege that he committed new burglaries and thefts while free on bail.
“He’s got seven to 14 years hanging over him in New Hampshire, and they want him back,” he said.
Shaker is charged with receiving stolen property and being held without bail.
Nichols is charged with burglary, theft and aggravated criminal mischief and was conditionally released on $50,000 unsecured bail.
All three are to be arraigned on May 3 in Rumford District Court.
“I’m very proud of the way this case went,” Rumford Chief Timothy Bourassa said Thursday morning. “Sergeant Cayer and Lieutenant Carter did an excellent job, as did the three patrolmen,” Daniel Garbarini, Peter Casey and Scott Mills. “It was just excellent police work,” he said.
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