Waterville police are still investigating a series of car burglaries throughout the city this summer, but the recent theft of a firearm has raised their concern.
A resident on Tardiff Street reported that his .357-caliber revolver was taken out of his car sometime Sunday night. The burglary was called in Monday at 5 a.m.
“When a firearm is stolen, that always raises a concern,” said Sgt. Alden Weigelt.
There are no suspects yet in the case, and police are still investigating whether a single person or a group is committing the burglaries.
Weigelt said people should never leave firearms inside a car, whether or not it’s locked. In this case, the car was left unlocked, which leaves it an easy target for burglars.
He also urged residents to lock their cars and keep valuables inside their homes.
The first rash of car burglaries happened on May 9, when Waterville police received 16 reports, all stemming from the central area of the city. Most of the targeted cars had been left unlocked.
Two days later on May 11, Fairfield police received reports of nearly a dozen car burglaries that had happened overnight. Most took place in the Savage Street area, which is near the Waterville city line. The targets were again unlocked cars. Meanwhile, five more reported burglaries came in for Waterville police.
The following Saturday, May 13, there were nine more burglaries of unlocked cars in Waterville.
In mid-May, Waterville police said they were narrowing down the list of suspects in the case, but it could take time. Weigelt said the burglaries have been reoccurring off-and-on throughout the summer, and that they’ve happened throughout the city.
Police believe that the multiple sprees in Waterville are connected, and that those are possibly connected with the nearby burglaries in Fairfield.
Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239
mstamour@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @madelinestamour
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