Police nab 2 in J.C. Penney thefts > Bangor residents say thieves stole Santa, Frosty lawn ornaments

Bangor police investigators are expected to use a photo lineup to try to further link a Bangor woman with a theft Monday of hundreds of dollars from J.C. Penney at the Bangor Mall.

The 18-year-old woman and her live-in boyfriend have already been charged with the theft of $870 from a cash register at J.C. Penney and authorities suspect they were involved with a similar theft two days earlier, when $650 was taken from another register.

As part of the investigation, authorities this week planned to present photographs to a key witness to further identify 18-year-old Heather Ring of Bangor as the woman seen taking money from a cash register and hiding it in a small catalog before leaving the store.

Ring and Charles “Chuck” Smith, 23, of Bangor were charged with Monday’s theft, in which it was reported that Smith distracted a clerk while Ring took the money, according to a police report. The two were confronted in the mall parking lot by two store employees, including a security official who told police he was absolutely certain that the woman in the parking lot was the same one he had seen open the cash register.

Ring held out her purse and appeared to want to return to the store, but was forced into a car by Smith, according to the police report.

Authorities searched the area but couldn’t find the car, but traced the car’s license plate to Ring’s parents in Orrington who told police that their daughter lived with Smith at 20 Adams St. in Bangor. The car could not be found there either, although later Monday Ring called Bangor Police Officer Shawn Green to report that they had had car problems on Stillwater Avenue and that they had gotten a ride with a taxi cab. The cabdriver, who had listened on a police scanner, told them that the police were looking for their car.

Ring allegedly gave police conflicting accounts about what had happened and at one point confessed to Green, “OK I did it, now what?” only later to recant her admission.

Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman were reported stolen from one Bangor woman’s lawn while a pair of reindeer were taken from another Bangor home.

The Santa and Frosty, both 4 feet tall and made of plastic, had been weighed down with rocks on the front lawn of a Sherman Avenue residence, until recently that is, when they were nicked from the front lawn some time between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. A Burleigh Road man reported to police Wednesday that sometime overnight, someone made off with the two reindeer made out of holiday lights.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli