Bangor police arrested a Jonesport man on drug and alcohol charges Tuesday night.

Officer James Dearing reported that at about 9:30 p.m. he saw a red Buick turn onto Bangor Mall Boulevard from the Hogan Road on the wrong side of the island, and drive toward oncoming traffic.

When Dearing tried to pull the car over, it signaled a left turn, then simply stopped in the road.

Dearing said he noticed a strong smell of liquor as he approached the car. He also saw two six-packs of green-apple-flavored Smirnoff malt liquor and some bottles of Kahlua in the back seat.

Dearing said the driver, Michael Blyther, 19, of Jonesport, admitted having a drink earlier. Dearing said Blyther did poorly on sobriety tests and was arrested.

Dearing searched Blyther and the car. He said he found a small bag in Blyther’s pocket containing a green pill, which Blyther said was oxycodone. Dearing said Blyther told him the medication had been prescribed to him, but that he couldn’t remember the doctor’s name or the condition for which the painkiller had been prescribed.

Dearing said he also found more than $1,200 in Blyther’s wallet and more than $1,000 in the glove box.

Dearing said he also found an opened and recapped bottle of malt liquor under the front passenger’s seat, and an opened and recapped bottle of Kahlua near a passenger in the back seat.

Though a breath test at the station showed Blyther’s blood alcohol was less than the legal limit, he kept nodding off, Dearing said.

Blyther was charged with operating under the influence of drugs, possession of Schedule W drugs, failing to show proof of insurance and having passengers in possession of open liquor containers.

Dearing said Blyther told him this was his fifth arrest for OUI. Blyther had been arrested twice in South Carolina and twice in Jonesport. Dearing requested that Blyther’s bail be set at $5,000, which is higher than normal, because he suspected Blyther was still on bail for the OUI charges from Jonesport.

Brewer police arrested a Holden man early Wednesday after he allegedly stole two packages of over-the-counter medicine from his workplace.

Officer Jeff Gotreau said that just after midnight, he went to a department store on Wilson Street where an employee had been caught stealing merchandise.

Employees at the store told Gotreau that Scott Smith, 34, who was scheduled to work that night, had taken a box of Tylenol PM without paying for it. Gotreau said Smith admitted taking the medicine.

Gotreau said he searched Smith and found a box of Stay Awake over-the-counter caffeine pills. Smith said he bought the pills on Monday, but store records showed no sale of that brand.

Gotreau arrested Smith, whom he believed to be intoxicated. Smith was charged with theft.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Isaac Kimball