MADAWASKA — Just hours after the accident that killed his pregnant wife and sent him to the hospital Monday morning, someone broke into the home of Robert Lausier and stole an unknown amount of medical marijuana, according to police.
“I am sad to say the home was broken into the day of the accident,” Madawaska police Chief Carroll Theriault said Wednesday morning. “It was reported to us last night.”
Theriault said a door was broken down to gain entry into the home.
Lausier, 53, was a passenger in the SUV driven by his wife, Kim Lausier, 38, who was 8 months pregnant, when at 10:30 a.m. Monday her vehicle struck head-on a sedan driven by 33-year-old Bobbi-Jo Johnston of Fort Fairfield. Police said Kim Lausier was trying to pass a tractor-trailer on Route 161 near Madawaska Lake in Stockholm at the time.
In addition to Lausier, Johnston, her 2-year-old daughter Alana A. Nelson and Johnston’s mother Laurie Johnston, 52, of Carlingford, New Brunswick, died at the scene.
Robert Lausier was transported that day to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor with serious injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Attempts to get an update on his condition from family members or the hospital have been unsuccessful.
Theriault said the break-in at the Lausier house occurred sometime Monday afternoon and the Maine State Police evidence team collected several items, including some jars that had contained the medical marijuana.
Those jars will be examined later on Wednesday, Theriault said.
Police are unsure at this point exactly how much marijuana was taken or if anything else was removed from the home.
“We spoke to the Lausiers’ son, but he is not sure if anything else is missing,” Theriault said. “We won’t know much until Robert gets back.”
Theriault said investigators had not spoken directly to Lausier as of Wednesday morning.
Police do have a suspect who was seen near the home Monday afternoon and other names have surfaced in connection with the investigation, Theriault said.
“This is as low as you can get after the tragedy that happened to this family,” Theriault said. “That accident was such a tragedy for both families in Madawaska and in Fort Fairfield (and])for someone to break in there during their time of hurt is something as low as I have ever heard.”
Theriault is appealing to the public to come forward if anyone has information that can help find the person or persons who committed the crime.
“They can call us at the station and do not have to give their names,” Theriault said. “We’d love to hear from them (because) we would like to nail the one or ones who did this.”
The Madawaska Police Department may be reached by calling 728-6356.
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