RUMFORD – Rumford Police Chief Timothy Bourassa said Monday afternoon that “excellent” investigative work and images from the camera helped police from two departments build cases against a 14-year-old Rumford boy and Corey Buffett, 18, of Mexico.
“They took pictures of themselves stealing stuff,” he said, “with a camera they stole out of the University of Maine,” Bourassa said.
On Sunday afternoon, the two were arrested by Mexico Patrolman Roy Hodsdon and charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor theft in connection with a break-in at the University of Maine System Rumford/Mexico Center in Mexico sometime between Aug. 19 and Aug. 22.
Buffett was released on $5,000 unsecured bail Sunday, Rumford District Court Clerk Darlene Richards said Monday afternoon. He is to be arraigned there at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 4. She said she didn’t know when the boy was to be arraigned.
Buffett and the youth were arrested Thursday by Rumford Detective Sgt. George Cayer in connection with several crimes that occurred between Aug. 22 and the early morning of Aug. 24 in Rumford.
Cayer charged each with three counts of motor vehicle burglary, two counts of business burglary, five counts of criminal mischief and four counts of theft.
Cayer wrote in a news release that the boy was released on special conditions to a parent; Buffett, on $2,000 secured bail. Richards said Buffett is to be arraigned on the Rumford charges at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 4 in Rumford District Court.
On Monday, Bourassa said the youth ran away shortly after being released, but was later picked up and taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland.
Cayer alleged that on the morning of Aug. 22, the 14-year-old burglarized a vehicle on Cumberland Street near Ralph’s Store.
In the early morning of Aug. 24, both Buffett and the boy were then alleged to have burglarized River Valley Grill and Second Wind Shop, businesses on Exchange Street.
“Several items were stolen, along with the cash register from the cafe,” Cayer stated.
All of the items were recovered, except the register, which was thrown into the nearby canal, and cash it contained.
In a parking lot on Railroad Street, the pair reportedly dumped sand into the gas tanks of Lem Cissel’s Ford pickup truck, and into the Scrapmobile, which is a large mobile store on wheels that accompanies Cissel’s business, Scrappers Domaine.
The vandalism caused “extensive damage to repair,” Cayer said.
Additionally, he said the duo also damaged a 1997 Oldsmobile sedan owned by Dawn Allen of Peru and stole cash and other items from two of the vehicles.
Cayer credited “good police work, such as interviews, collection of evidence and persistent investigation” by Patrolmen Peter and Paul Casey, Matthew Noyes and Eric Richard, with solving the case.
Bourassa took it a step further, praising the men and Detectives Cayer and Lt. Stacy Carter.
“In the past month, these guys have done a fantastic job. For all the burglaries, thefts and vandalism that have occurred, they’ve got a clearance rate of almost 100 percent,” Bourassa said.
“The town of Rumford should be proud. These young patrolmen are frothing at the mouth to do investigative work. They’re doing an excellent and fantastic job,” he added.
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