Newburgh man thankful for arrest

A Newburgh man thanked a Brewer policeman after being charged with operating under the influence early Friday.

Officer Paul Gauvin said that at about half-past midnight he saw a vehicle with no front plate leaving Johnny’s Pub on Wilson Street. Gauvin stopped the vehicle on Parkway South near the high school.

Gauvin said there was an “extreme abundance” of the smell of intoxicants as he approached the car. The driver, Christopher White, 33, said he had consumed three beers since 6 p.m., Gauvin said.

As White stepped out of the car, Gauvin said, he kept putting his hands in his pockets. Gauvin told him to stop and asked him if he had any weapons. White said he had a pocketknife and also a 9mm handgun in the glove box.

Gauvin immediately went to the passenger’s side of the car and ordered White’s passenger, an intoxicated woman, not to move. He retrieved the firearm and gave it to Cpl. Rich Smith for safekeeping.

Gauvin said that White had a concealed-weapons permit.

White performed poorly on sobriety tests, Gauvin said, and agreed to accompany Gauvin to Bangor for a breath test. Gauvin said White’s test registered more than twice the legal limit for blood alcohol content.

Gauvin said White was cooperative and thanked him, saying, “It’s better you catch me than a tree.”

White picked up his gun at the station later Friday morning.

Bangor police charged a woman with theft Thursday night after she allegedly tried to steal beer in order to feed her child.

Officer Joshua Ouellette reported that at about 8 p.m. he went to Shaw’s Supermarket on Springer Drive, where employees had Margaret Martin, 37, of Bangor, in custody.

Ouellette said Martin had two shopping carts full of beer, covered with paper goods, which she had been accused of trying to steal from the store.

Martin allegedly told Ouellette she tried to steal the beer to sell it to buy food for her daughter. She allegedly claimed to have done this before.

Ouellette said he took Martin to the station to write up a report, then took her to Penobscot County Jail. Martin also was booked for an outstanding warrant, Ouellette said.

Bangor police apprehended a man getting on the bus Friday afternoon after he allegedly stole two pairs of boots.

Officer Douglas Moore reported that at about 12:45 p.m. he went to the Goodwill Store on Stillwater Avenue on a shoplifting complaint.

An employee told Moore they saw a man walking around the store with a brand of backpack sold by that store. The man was wearing Redwood brand boots, the employee said, which are sold there.

The employee said the man took two boxes of Redwood boots into the fitting room, whence came sounds of rustling paper, possibly that used to stuff the boots. The man then came out and put the boxes back on the display.

Another employee spoke with the man and asked where he’d found the backpack and the boots on his feet. The man allegedly said he got them at the Union Street store. The employee said the man smelled of liquor and left the store on a bicycle.

Moore said he drove around the Bangor Mall area looking for the suspect and finally saw him getting on a bus. Moore ordered the man, whom he recognized as Percy Martin, 32, to get off the bus, which he did.

Moore said Martin allowed him to search his backpack, which contained two pairs of Redwood boots, one still with tags. Upon being arrested, Martin allegedly said, “I don’t know why I stole those [expletive] boots.”

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Isaac Kimball