News

Police Beat

By Cate Tiller

Posted on Jan. 30, 2003, at 12:00 a.m.

* Two minors were caught drinking alcohol from unmarked containers just after midnight Jan. 24.

Public Safety received an anonymous complaint about underage drinking on the third floor of Penobscot Hall at 12:28 a.m. An officer arrived to find a large group making noise in the hallway.

One student, carrying a plastic container, saw the officer and quickly started to walk away. He refused to stop when asked to and disappeared into the men’s bathroom, only to emerge a few minutes later without the container. Checking the bathroom, the officer found the container with the alcohol still inside.

After questioning another young man about the large Coke bottle he was carrying, the officer found that it contained alcohol as well. As a result, Christopher Cox, 19, and Ben Janaitis, 18, both of Orono, were summonsed for possession of alcohol by a minor.

* A call put out by Orono police led to a summons on Long Road near Gannet Hall at about 2:30 a.m. Jan. 21.

An officer on patrol saw a man carrying a 2-liter bottle of Coke who matched the description of someone Orono police were looking for. As the officer slowed down, the man ran off.

When the officer caught him, the bottle had disappeared but the man smelled strongly of rum. He explained that he had dropped the bottle because it was cold and when asked if it had contained alcohol he said, “Not really.”

The officer saw a large bulge at the man’s side and, unsure of his intentions, patted him down. It was a pouch, which the officer made him open, revealing a glass bong. They retrieved the Coke bottle and the man admitted that it contained Captain Morgan’s Rum.

As a result, Anthony McPherson, 19, of Orono, dumped out the remaining contents and was summonsed for possession of drug paraphernalia.

* An expired inspection sticker led to an arrest on Rangely Road Monday, Jan. 20. Alexander Lessard, 21, of Orono tried to pass off his suspended license as legitimate when the officer pulled him over at 4:14 p.m. After running the license, the officer discovered it had been suspended because Lessard didn’t have insurance. Lessard was charged with operation after suspension and displaying a suspended license.

He was arrested and taken to Penobscot County Jail.

* Fernando Marin was charged with operating under suspension Friday, Jan. 24. He was pulled over for having a burned out plate light.

When the officer ran his license it came up as suspended for failure to pay a fine.

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