RUMFORD — A rash of felony crimes this fall has kept Detective Sgt. James Bernard busy.
After investigating recent cases involving a rash of car burglaries and copper thefts, he said Tuesday that his latest case involves a 6-year-old girl “who disclosed being touched inappropriately” by a man.
The Rumford gross sexual assault case complaint came in Nov. 1. “The case remains under investigation,” he said.
Citing fraud cases, Bernard said he wanted to alert the public about telemarketing fraud and fraudulent local want ads.
“Most recently, an individual claimed to be a representative of a cable television provider. He had explained that he wanted to provide an upgrade to the existing cable service, which was free, although he needed a credit card number on file in case the equipment was damaged or lost,” he said.
“We had another fraud just recently where someone answered an ad in local want ads of a dog for sale,” he said. “They said the dog was out of state and money was needed to arrange for shipment of the dog. Several hundred dollars were spent and the dog never showed. Turns out the money was going overseas.”
He said people should investigate such things, especially if there is a need for money for shipping or insurance, and it’s going out of the country.
In other police news, Bernard said that in the past two months unlocked cars parked in unlit areas on Maple, Pine, Knox, Franklin and Washington streets, and Oxford Avenue, have been burglarized and property inside taken.
He said that at 1:47 a.m. Oct. 28 on Washington Street, he arrested a 17-year-old Mexico youth on charges of burglary and theft.
The boy, who was free on conditions of release on a previous charge of having stolen property and awaiting a Dec. 7 court date, has been in custody since Oct. 28, Bernard said.
Police recovered a lot of stolen property, among which were stereos and GPS units and two firearms. “Several of the stolen items were recovered and returned to owners, but we have more property that’s been unaccounted for, whether it be that people are not aware their car was burglarized or they haven’t reported it,” he said.
The detective also urged car owners to park in lit areas, lock car doors and not leave any important items in plain view.
“Really, the most important thing is to keep your property secured,” he said.
Bernard believes that he’s solved a rash of thefts of thousands of dollars worth of copper with the arrests last month of three men.
On Oct. 14, he arrested Frederick Hodgkins, 51, of Roxbury, on charges of felony burglary and theft of copper heating and plumbing pipes from a vacant home on East Andover Road.
Hodgkins was also charged with criminal mischief for damage to the home by cutting $4,932 worth of pipes out, Bernard said.
In connection with the case, he said he also arrested Almond Bryant, 35, of Milton Township, on the same charges.
Additionally, Frederick Hodgkins’ son Kaine Hodgkins, 22, of Roxbury, was arrested and charged along with his father on another case on charges of felony burglary and theft of $3,000 worth of spooled copper wire from a Central Maine Power Co. construction site at the power station atop Falls Hill beside Route 2.
Father and son were each released on bail of $15,000 worth of real estate, and Bryant on $1,500 unsecured bail. The trio will be arraigned on Dec. 17 in Oxford County Superior Court in Paris.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
