A Machias man escaped injury Sunday afternoon when his small plane lost power and crashed at the Old Town municipal airport.

Old Town police Officer Seth Bear said that at 4 p.m. an employee at Old Town Aviation called police saying they had heard an approaching plane’s engine quit near the runway. Firefighters and rescue personnel rushed to the scene and found an unhurt Todd Wyse, 39, of Machias walking across the tarmac, Bear said.

Wyse said he was approaching the runway when he realized he was too high. He was going to circle and make a second landing attempt when the engine stopped. Wyse’s plane appeared to have fallen straight down, landing in the alders. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

A Bradley man apologized profusely after allegedly stealing an ice auger from a pawn shop in Old Town on Monday morning, according to Old Town police.

Police Officer Seth Bear said that about 11 a.m. the owner of the Old Town Pawn Shop on Main Street called 911 saying a man just left his store “stealing stuff.” The caller hung up the phone to go chase the thief.

Bear said he arrived to find the owner outside with another man identified as Christopher Wallace, 29, of Bradley. Wallace admitted to taking an ice auger from the store. Apologizing tearfully, Wallace said he didn’t know why he had taken the auger. Bear charged Wallace with theft.

Brewer police summoned an Old Town man after he allegedly switched price tags on two pairs of shoes Sunday afternoon.

Sgt. Jason Moffitt said that about 4:30 p.m. he went to Marden’s on Wilson Street to investigate a report of a shoplifter in custody. A security worker said he saw Benjamin Knapp, 20, of Old Town take the $29.99 price tag off of one pair of shoes and replace it with a $9.99 tag.

Knapp paid for the shoes at the reduced price, left the store and was then detained by security.

Moffitt charged Knapp with theft.

A Bangor man was arrested after allegedly throwing his girlfriend against a door early Monday.

Officer Steve Pelletier reported that at about 1:30 a.m. he and other officers went to an apartment building after receiving a call from a woman who said her boyfriend was drunk and becoming violent.

Pelletier spoke with the woman at the apartment while the boyfriend, Charles Wilcox, 36, of Bangor, spoke with another officer. The woman said Wilcox grabbed her neck and threw her against a closet door. She showed Pelletier the damage to the door.

Pelletier said he could see two coin-sized red marks on the woman’s neck. Pelletier also noticed a large dented area in the wall of the stairwell. Witnesses said a man who was visiting had tried to help the woman and Wilcox threw him into the wall. The man did not want to press charges.

Wilcox’s girlfriend did want to press charges, Pelletier said. Wilcox was arrested and charged with domestic assault and criminal mischief.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Isaac Kimball