Bangor man has bad day at the bank

A man charged with stealing a woman’s purse and checkbook from her Bangor home apparently made a bad choice when he decided to cash a check at the bank where the woman works.

Bangor Police Officer Greg Sharpe said a Cumberland Street resident called police at about 1:30 p.m. to say that while she was at the park someone apparently climbed in her window and stole her purse. Sharpe said the purse contained the woman’s checkbook.

Sharpe had few clues in the case until he was contacted at 3 p.m. by Penobscot County Deputy Tom Burgess who said he had just arrested 19-year-old Archie Ruest for trying to cash a $200 personal check belonging to the woman at the United Bank in Hermon.

Unbeknownst to Ruest, the woman whose purse he allegedly had stolen works at the Bangor branch of United Bank. The employees recognized the woman’s name on the check, and contacted police. Burgess arrested Ruest and charged him with possession of stolen property. Bangor police charged Ruest with forgery and burglary. He was taken to Penobscot County jail.

Sharpe said the woman’s purse was not recovered. He said Ruest denied stealing the purse and said the $200 check had been left in his post office box at 8 a.m. Tuesday.