WATERVILLE — A city man was arrested early Thursday after police found him hiding under a clothes rack inside Ken-A-Set thrift shop, according to Deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey.
Police also are investigating burglaries at the nearby Waterville Main Street office and at Uptown Style salon, Rumsey said Thursday.
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Jason Hight, 26, allegedly broke a window in the basement of the Ken-A-Set building at 1 College Ave. to get inside, Rumsey said.
He said police got a call at 12:30 a.m. from an on-duty firefighter who saw a person with a crow bar in his hand pounding on the building, which is across an alley from the fire department.
“Then the firefighter heard the sound of breaking glass,” Rumsey said.
Police arrived moments later, and Sgt. Alden Weigelt shone a spotlight into the thrift shop and saw a man there, he said.
After attempting to talk to the man, the officers entered the building through the broken window, let others in through the front door and found Hight hiding under a clothes rack on the sales floor, Rumsey said. Officers also found a crowbar and screwdriver with Hight, he said.
Hight also apparently broke into an office inside the thrift shop, he said.
After arresting Hight, police found broken glass in a back door of the Waterville Main Street office at 177 Main St. Someone also got into Uptown Style at 189 Main St. through a rear door of the salon, he said. Both offices were ransacked, and police Thursday were trying to determine if anything was taken.
Hight was charged with a class C felony burglary and one count of class D misdemeanor criminal mischief. He couldn’t make $2,000 cash bail and was taken to Kennebec County jail in Augusta. He is scheduled to appear Feb. 26 in Kennebec County Superior Court, Rumsey said.
Hight faces a fine of up to a $5,000 and up to five years in prison on the felony charge, according to Rumsey.
Police on Thursday also summoned Hight with attempted burglary and criminal mischief for trying to break into Ken-A-Set on Sunday, Rumsey said. A window was damaged in that incident, he said.
Ken-A-Set was also burglarized in late December. Andrew Cooper, 27, was arrested Dec. 24 on charges related to a series of buglaries that included the thrift shop.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com
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