Presque Isle Man Charged With Stealing From Vehicles in Castle Hill

Aroostook County Sheriff's Deputies have charged a Presque Isle man with stealing items from a vehicle that was parked at Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill.

On July 12, an Oakfield resident parked her car at the parking area in order to climb Haystack. The car window had been left partially open and access was gained in that way, according to Chief Deputy Sheriff Darrell Crandall.

The young woman returned and discovered that someone had stolen a purse and its contents from the vehicle. When Deputies arrived, there was very little evidence and no witnesses to interview.

As the investigation continued, Deputies obtained a video from Shop n' Save in Caribou that showed a man cashing a check that had been stolen from the vehicle in Castle Hill. The video was posted on the Sheriff’s Office and Crime Stoppers’ Facebook pages. Within twelve hours, Crandall said, someone came forward and identified the suspect and his vehicle.

Aroostook County Sheriff’s Deputies have charged 30-year-old Brad Johnson of Presque Isle with theft, burglary of a motor vehicle and forgery. Crandall said Johnson had been convicted of theft in June for stealing from a car at this same parking lot.

Johnson will appear in Presque Isle District Court on October 8 and faces up to a year in jail if convicted.

The Aroostook County Sheriff's Department thanks the public for their assistance.