Fugitive from Caribou held in Conn.

CARIBOU – A Connecticut man who escaped last month from the Caribou Police Department’s booking room has been arrested in Connecticut and is being held on a fugitive warrant from Maine.

Robert Smith Jr., 24, was arrested by Wethersfield, Conn., police Monday night on an outstanding warrant for larceny in that state. Police later found out about the outstanding warrant in Maine.

Smith appeared in court Tuesday morning in Wethersfield.

At the time Smith took flight, he was being processed at the Caribou Police Department in connection with the theft of a motor vehicle in Connecticut.

Smith was apprehended Sept. 19 by Caribou police after the car he was driving failed to negotiate a curve at the intersection of West Presque Isle Road and Buck Road in Caribou.

The car he was driving had been reported stolen in Waterbury, Conn.

He also was recognized by a Caribou police officer as a suspect in a residential burglary in Caribou earlier in that week.

Todd Collins, Aroostook County assistant district attorney, said Thursday afternoon that Smith was being held for Maine authorities. Smith would not waive extradition, and Collins said the application has been made to Gov. John Baldacci’s office for extradition proceedings.

“The process is expected to take about 30 days,” Collins said. “It is our intention to go get him to face charges here in Aroostook County.

“The only formal charge we have at this time is escape,” the prosecutor said. “Other charges involving burglary and receiving stolen property are pending the outcome of an investigation.”

Smith was recognized by a Caribou police officer from a photograph taken by a bank surveillance camera. He allegedly was trying to cash a check stolen earlier that week from a Caribou home.

Items stolen in that burglary, including firearms, cameras, coins, jewelry, credit cards and checks, were recovered by police.

After his escape, Smith was suspected of stealing a car in Caribou and a maintenance truck from the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

Collins said Smith might have been commandeering a vehicle for his flight back to Connecticut.

Smith also is wanted for questioning in connection with a Presque Isle residential burglary reported Sept. 15.