SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Two South Portland robberies, one on March 11 and the other on March 12, have been linked and a suspect is in custody.
Jonathan Hines, 32, of Portland is charged with two counts of class A robbery, two counts of class B theft, one count of class C theft, and one count of class C leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.
Police believe Hines was the only person involved in the crimes. He is currently being held at the Cumberland County Jail on $100,000 cash bail. A knife and an undisclosed amount of cash was discovered from one of the scenes.
South Portland Police Department responded to a call on March 11, at approximately 10:07 PM. Officers were dispatched to 690 Main Street (Irving Circle K) for a robbery report. A male suspect entered the store, armed with a knife, and demanded cash from an employee.
The suspect fled on foot with a small amount of cash. No one was hurt during this incident.
A similar scenario occurred on March 12. At approximately 10:11 AM, a male suspect entered Town and Country Federal Credit Union located at 557 Main Street, armed with a knife. He demanded cash from employees and fled the bank with an undetermined amount of cash.
Jon Paradise, Vice President of Public Relations and Communications of the credit union said no staff personnel or members were injured and there was no loss of confidential member data.
After fleeing the credit union, the suspect stole a nearby vehicle that belonged to a bank patron and fled the scene north on Route 1 at a fast speed.
Moments following the bank robbery, the South Portland Police Department received calls about a car accident in the Cash Corner area.
A vehicle had left the roadway, crashed through a CMP pole, and struck another vehicle before coming to rest on its roof.
The driver of the car left his vehicle and fled on foot, heading north on Route 1. The driver of the car that was struck and several bystanders pursued the suspect into the nearby Walgreen’s parking lot, and ultimately into the Cavalry Cemetery.
The police arrived on the scene and took the suspect into custody. It is believed all three incidents are related.
A person of interest has been interviewed by detectives and is being treated at a nearby medical facility.
This is an ongoing investigation. The public will be updated as more information becomes available. At this time we do not believe the public is at risk.