Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Waterville man charged with robbery

By Amy Calder acalder@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE — A Waterville man was arrested on Front Street Thursday afternoon and charged with robbing a woman of her purse on Pleasant Street earlier in the day, according to Deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey.
Ronald Wilson, 33, of 12 Boothby St., Apt. 2, also was summonsed for operating after suspension and possession of prescription drugs after police stopped him in his car at 3:45 p.m., Rumsey said.
At about 12:37 p.m., police got a report that a woman at On the Run, a gas station and convenience store on Pleasant Street, was robbed of her purse, Rumsey said.
Police met with the woman, who said she had been assaulted and robbed of her purse in the parking lot by a man later identified as Wilson and with whom she was associated, Rumsey said.
“We got a description of the vehicle he was traveling in and took a statement from her and a number of witnesses, and broadcast an attempt-to- locate for the vehicle,” he said.
“At 3:45 p.m., Detective Duane Cloutier, who was in the area looking for the vehicle, saw it on Front Street. We stopped the vehicle and a number of our officers converged on the vehicle.”
Wilson, who was driving the 2005 Pontiac Grand Am, was arrested, Rumsey said.
“He initially resisted arrest and a brief struggle ensued before he was taken into custody,” Rumsey said.
Neither the woman nor police were injured in the struggles with Wilson, according to Rumsey.
The robbery charge is a Class A felony because Wilson reportedly used physical force against the woman when she resisted his taking her purse, according to Rumsey.
“She attempted to get away and he assaulted her by grabbing her and getting the purse and pulling the purse away from her.”
As of early Thursday evening, police had not recovered the purse or its contents, which Rumsey said he believed included some cash.
Wilson was taken to the Police Department. He  was unable to pay the $500 cash bail so he was  taken to Kennebec County Jail in Augusta, Rumsey said.
He is scheduled to appear in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta at 8 a.m. April 13.

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com