RUMFORD — Authorities from Rumford to Bethel continued a joint investigation Wednesday into four burglaries and thefts during daylight hours on Jan. 21 that netted two Augusta suspects more than $22,000 worth of jewelry and electronics.
Police continued to pursue leads from media reports on Wednesday after Rumford Detective Sgt. James Bernard and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office issued a wanted poster for Luke Greenlaw, 36, and Sarah Vitale, 28, Detective Michael Halacy said Wednesday.
“We have had reports from the public, but nothing solid yet,” Halacy said.
The pair, whose last known address was 122 Riverside Drive in Augusta,
have been charged in Kennebec County with stealing more than $75,000
worth of jewelry and other items.
Lewiston police investigating a reported sighting of Greenlaw boarding a bus in Lewiston on Wednesday afternoon found the man who was spotted, but it wasn’t Greenlaw.
Greenlaw is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs 180 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. Vitale is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes. Both are white.
Tuesday’s wanted poster stressed that the public should not approach or attempt to apprehend the pair.
Bernard, Halacy and Bethel police Lt. S.R. White said they have linked Greenlaw and Vitale to burglaries between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Jan. 21 at two Andover homes, and one burglary each in Rumford and Bethel.
Halacy said $3,055 worth of jewelry and medicine were taken from an East Andover Road home and another $1,085 worth of jewelry and electronics were taken from an Airport Road home in Andover.
White said Wednesday that the victim of the Bethel burglary at a Route 232 home estimated that the pair stole $8,000 worth of jewelry and electronics.
Bernard said Tuesday that the Rumford home burglary netted the thieves between $10,000 and $14,000 worth of jewelry and electronics, less than $100 in cash, and between $250 and $500 worth of electronics.
Bernard said the pair’s method of operation is to have Vitale go to a house and knock on the door. If someone comes out, she asks if they are selling dogs or if a person lives there who obviously doesn’t.
If no one answers, she and Greenlaw break in or walk in if the door is unlocked, as was the case in one of the Andover burglaries, Halacy said.
“We’ve had a few people call who had these people come to their door and knock, and their MO was the same,” he said. “They haven’t been located yet, but we will locate them eventually.”
How to help
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Luke Greenlaw or Sarah Vitale is asked to call Rumford Detective Sgt. James Bernard or Capt. Dan Garbarini at 364-4551, or Oxford County Sheriff’s Detective Michael Halacy at 1-800-733-1421, or Bethel Lt. S.R. White at 824-3437.
If you have any immediate information, call 911. Do not approach the suspects.
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