FRYEBURG – Police say a New Hampshire man burglarized four cars on Denmark Road before his own vehicle broke down, botching his ability to get out of town.
Fryeburg police Chief Wayne Brooking said police arrested Matthew Salmin, 25, of North Conway, N.H., Saturday night. The windows of four cars had been smashed and a variety of items had been taken, the chief said. Salmin was charged with theft, burglary and criminal mischief, plus two other charges.
The burglarized vehicles had been parked in two driveways on Denmark Road in East Fryeburg, and all were locked. Police say the residents were home at the time of the crimes. Brooking did not know why that area was targeted.
Police found Salmin after they first responded to a call at 9:15 p.m. of a broken-down 1990 Toyota station wagon on Route 302.
When Officers Ian Tait and Jason Goff arrived at the spot near Belair Estate Road, the station wagon was empty. They said the windows of the station wagon were smashed, but they saw no sign of a crash. Brooking said the case is still being investigated, and he did not know yet who owns the Toyota.
The officers then individually intercepted two men walking separately along Route 302 west toward New Hampshire, without knowing the two were connected.
Goff caught up with Salmin about three-fourths of a mile from the broken-down vehicle, but he bolted into the woods.
A short time later, an Oxford County deputy spotted Salmin in a church parking lot around 10:30 p.m. The chief said Salmin was carrying a large trash-bag-type sack, which held two portable radios, a CD player faceplate and some prescription pills, all items that police think were taken from the Denmark Road vehicles, Brooking said.
In addition to the other charges, the deputy arrested Salmin on an Oxford County warrant for failing to pay fines; Salmin also was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
Meanwhile, Tait had intercepted another man, Tory Sullivan, 28, of North Conway, who initially denied being connected with Salmin, but later admitted he had been in the car when it broke down. Police are still looking into whether he helped break into the burglarized vehicles.
Police charged Sullivan with carrying a concealed weapon, a large sheathed knife.
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