Bangor couple’s trash requires help from bomb team

An elderly Bangor couple who brought in items to the city’s public works building as part of spring cleanup were left a little embarrassed Saturday afternoon when police discovered that some of the items turned out to be old military explosives.

The Bangor Police Department bomb team was called in to investigate the items, which included old shell casings, blank rifle rounds and a green canvas bag with the words “case ammunition” on the side.

Police also found three ground burst simulators, which are used by military personnel to create battle noises and flash effects during training. The simulators had to be detonated.

Police also found an old book of checks with a phone number. Bangor police Officer Christopher Blanchard contacted the Bangor couple, who were stunned to hear about what happened, according to his report.

Public works employees helped divert traffic Saturday as police kept people away from the area until the bomb team arrived.

The couple apologized for the inconvenience and even offered to come back to the public works building to straighten things out, the report stated, but Blanchard told them it wasn’t necessary.

Two people were arrested early Sunday morning in Brewer on multiple charges after police seized a variety of drugs, including nearly 17 grams of cocaine.

Bangor police obtained a warrant to search the Chamberlain Street apartment of John Ambrose, 44, of Brewer.

With the help of the Brewer Police Department, officials entered the residence and found Ambrose inside with his girlfriend, Stephanie Obrien, 30, of Bangor.

Police asked Ambrose what was in the apartment and he admitted to possessing marijuana and hashish, according to a police report. When asked about cocaine, he said there probably was none left because they had smoked it all, the report stated.

As the search continued, police saw Ambrose hand Obrien some items, which turned out to be two bags of white powdered substance identified as cocaine, according to the report. Police also reportedly recovered about 13 Vicodin tablets from Obrien’s purse.

Ambrose was arrested for falsifying evidence and trafficking in cocaine. Obrien was arrested on charges of falsifying physical evidence and unlawful possession of a Schedule W drug (cocaine).

The subjects were strip-searched at Penobscot County Jail where more cocaine was found in Obrien’s underwear. Police also recovered nearly $2,500 in cash from the couple.

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A man was arrested Saturday morning and charged with assaulting another male with a broomstick at a Warren Street apartment.

Vernon Goguen, 21, of Bangor was playing cards with a 23-year-old Bangor man when he became disorderly, according to a police report.

After Goguen struck his opponent with the broomstick, the man chased him out of his apartment with a large pipe.

When Bangor police arrived, Goguen ran in the other direction. After a 100-yard chase, Goguen was found hiding under a car, where he was handcuffed and taken to Penobscot County Jail, the report said.

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An Old Town man came home Saturday to find a strange man in his Main Street apartment. He kicked him out only to discover later that the man was trying to give away some of his belongings and had spent some money he had taken.

Old Town police charged William Clarke, 73, of Milford with theft and returned him to his home.

The Old Town man told police Officer Tom Adams that he came home to find Clarke sitting in his apartment and told Clarke to leave.

Clarke later told Sgt. Michael Hashey that he was moving to the area and mistook this apartment for his new apartment.

Later Saturday afternoon, both men ended up at Don’s North End bar, where Clarke was trying to give away a novelty 12-inch lighter that the other man recognized as his own, according to police.

Authorities were called, and it also was learned that Clarke had taken about $5 in change from the apartment and used some of it to buy a beer.

– Compiled by BDN reporters Erinne Magee, Eric Russell and Doug Kesseli