A Bangor man was spotted leaving the Union Street Hannaford supermarket on Tuesday with a red store basket containing what turned out to be items stolen from that store and others, police said.

Bangor police Officer Steve Jordan spotted Peter Pelletier, 25, getting onto a bus outside the supermarket with a store basket the officer knew should not leave the store. On the bus, Pelletier claimed he paid $13 for the candy and meat products he had with him. Upon investigating, Jordan found a store official rang up the food and it came close to $35.

Upon further questioning, Pelletier admitted he had stolen the food items, telling Jordan that he didn’t have any money.

Pelletier had bags containing clothing from other stores, items he claimed were Christmas presents. Jordan checked the other stores, the Foot Locker and Sears, and employees at both said the items in Pelletier’s possession – a shirt from the Foot Locker and boxer briefs from Sears – were exclusive to their stores and hadn’t been sold that day. At least one of the items still had a store security device on it.

Pelletier was charged with three counts of theft and with a probation violation, according to documents at Penobscot County Jail, where Pelletier was taken.

A city street lamp at the corner of Railroad and Main streets in Bangor was struck and bent Tuesday. A witness reported seeing a tractor-trailer take a sharp turn at the corner and hit the lamp. The truck kept going, according to the police report. There was no information available as to who owns the truck.

– Compiled by BDN reporter Doug Kesseli