Presque Isle man charged with theft
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
A Presque Isle man has been charged with stealing from vehicles while they were parked at Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill.
“Sheriff’s deputies have charged Brad Johnson, 30, of Presque Isle, with stealing items from a vehicle parked at Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill. On July 12, a Maine resident parked their vehicle at the parking area in Castle Hill to climb Haystack. When they returned, they discovered that someone had stolen a purse and its contents from the vehicle,” said Chief Deputy Sheriff Darrell Crandall, of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office.
Crandall indicated access was gained to the vehicle through a window that had been left partially open.
“When deputies arrived, there was very little evidence and no witnesses to work with. As the investigation continued, deputies obtained a video from Shop ‘n Save in Caribou. This video showed a man cashing a check that had been stolen from the vehicle in Castle Hill,” said Crandall.
The video was posted to the ACSO Facebook page, with a tip leading to the suspect in the video.
“The video was posted on the Sheriff’s Office and Crime Stoppers’ Facebook pages. Within 12 hours, we had someone come forward and identify Johnson and his vehicle. Deputies located Johnson, interviewed him and charged him with theft, burglary of a motor vehicle and forgery,” Crandall said.
This isn’t Johnson’s first brush with the law, according to Crandall.
“Interestingly, Johnson was convicted of theft, in June of this year, for stealing from a car at this same parking lot,” said Crandall.
Johnson is scheduled to appear in Presque Isle District Court on Oct. 8. If convicted, Johnson faces up to a year in jail. Crandall wishes to thank the public for their assistance in solving this crime.
