Bangor woman injured in strong-arm robbery

A strong-arm robbery occurred Monday night when two people reportedly approached a Bangor woman on Cedar Street, assaulted her and took her purse.

The victim had a swollen wrist, scratches and missing hair as a result of the encounter with the two suspects, one of whom appeared to be an intoxicated woman.

Soon after the 11 p.m. assault, police found William Hilderbrand, 19, a known cross-dresser, and a 37-year-old male transient walking near the Bangor Y on Second Street. While a police officer interviewed the two men, another officer drove by with the 42-year-old victim in his cruiser and she was able to identify Hilderbrand positively as the “woman” who was involved in the theft.

Hilderbrand was arrested for robbery, taken to Penobscot County Jail and had his first appearance in 3rd District Court in Bangor on Tuesday.

The victim’s brown suede purse, which apparently contained $190 in cash, 200 methadone pills, two packs of an antidepressant and approximately $100 in oral anti-diabetic drugs, was not recovered. (Nok-Noi Hauger, BDN)

An Orono man who apparently rear-ended a Bangor man on Husson Avenue caused $6,000 in damage to the two vehicles and later was charged with felony operating under the influence.

Jerry Howard, 35, of Orono apparently rammed the black Jeep Grand Cherokee he was driving into the back end of a gray Ford Ranger pickup around 4:25 p.m. Monday, causing an estimated $3,000 in damage to each vehicle.

While wreckers were removing the vehicles, Howard called to Officer James Hassard to inform him the Jeep’s keys were still in the vehicle, and Hassard noticed he appeared to be intoxicated.

He failed a field sobriety test, and an Intoxilyzer test taken at the police station showed his blood alcohol level at 0.14. The legal limit for driving in Maine is 0.08. Howard was charged with Class C OUI because of convictions for OUI in the last decade, and with operating without a license. (Nok-Noi Hauger, BDN)

An Oakfield man was arrested for operating after suspension of his license when Bangor police stopped his yellow Ford Mustang because it was believed to have been involved in a theft at the Ellsworth Hannaford store, according to a police report.

An officer pulled over the Mustang on State Street just before noon Tuesday and when he asked John Maguire, 27, and Monica Clark, 21, about the theft, both said they knew nothing about it.

Maguire told the officer he had been at work and had lent the car to Clark. Clark said she had been to the Hannaford store, but only to ask directions to her dentist’s office.

Clark told the officer she couldn’t remember the name of her dentist.

They gave the officer permission to search the vehicle and he found a sealed DVD in the trunk. Clark said a friend gave her the movie, but changed her story several times.

The officer found that Maguire’s license was under suspension and arrested him. He also issued Clark a summons for theft on behalf of the Ellsworth Police Department, the report stated. (Nick McCrea, BDN)