WATERVILLE — A 40-year-old Augusta man is facing multiple felony charges after his arrest Friday in connection with numerous car burglaries, police said.

Keith Arvanitis is accused of three vehicle burglaries that were reported to Waterville police on Thursday morning, according to Waterville police Chief Joseph Massey.

Three individuals had contacted police after realizing their cars had been broken into while they slept at a local motel, the name of which Massey did not release.

“Each of the three vehicles were entered after a window was broken out,” Massey said.

Among the items Arvanitis stole were computer equipment, fishing poles, food, two semiautomatic handguns and ammunition, the police chief said.

Waterville police Detective Duane Cloutier and Sgt. William Bonney were able to determine that Arvanitis had been seen near where the burglaries occurred and had taken a cab from the area to a Vassalboro residence, according to Massey.

Several stolen items were recovered from that residence and Arvanitis’ Augusta residence, Massey said.

Around 2:15 Friday afternoon, officers from Waterville, Augusta and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency surrounded Aravanitis’ residence and took him into custody, Massey said.

The firearms and ammunition were recovered at Arvanitis’ apartment, Massey said.

Arvanitis was charged with three counts of burglary of a motor vehicle, a Class C felony; two counts of theft of a firearm, a Class B felony; possession of a firearm by a felon, a Class C felony; and a Class E misdemeanor charge of theft.

Aravanitis is being held at the Kennebec County Jail on $13,250 cash bail. He is due to appear in court on Sept. 10.

“I’m extremely glad this case could be closed so quickly, before the stolen firearms made their way into the hands of someone who could’ve used them for a robbery or worse,” Massey said. “Working together, we were able to recover a large amount of valuable stolen property and keep two guns off the street.”

If convicted, Aravanitis could spend up to 10 years in prison on the Class B charges and up to five years on the Class C counts.

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