SKOWHEGAN — Two people were arrested Tuesday and charged with theft and arson in connection with the theft of a minivan from Napa Auto Parts that was destroyed by fire off Malbons Mills Road, according to Skowhegan police Chief David Bucknam.
After police executed a search warrant at a home in Skowhegan, they took Felicia Lloyd, 20, and Richard Thompson Jr., 22, to the Somerset County Jail, where bail was set at $1,000 each, Bucknam said Wednesday in a news release.
Asked in a phone interview where the home is, Bucknam declined to reveal the location but said Lloyd was there at the time of the search and Thompson was at another location.
About 5 a.m. Tuesday, Skowhegan police responded to a report of a vehicle fire in the area of 297 Malbons Mills Road in Skowhegan and found the green 2005 Dodge Caravan across a field and near the woods, according to Bucknam. The van was full of smoke, and flames were emanating above its roof, he said.
“Due to the fire, the Fire Marshal’s Office was called and Fire Marshal Larry Morrill and John Wardwell responded to the scene,” Bucknam’s release says. “During the course of the investigation, it was determined the vehicle had been stolen at approximately 2:40 a.m. from the Napa Auto Parts store in Skowhegan. Detective Sergeant Kelly Hooper and Detective Michael Bachelder were assigned the case.”
The investigation led police to Lloyd and Thompson, according to Bucknam.
After the home was searched, they were taken into custody and charged with class A arson and class C theft, Bucknam said.
“I would like to thank the Fire Marshal’s Office for their quick response and assistance throughout the course of this investigation,” he said. “It was great team work between all involved which led to the quick arrests of both subjects.”
In the phone interview, Bucknam said that before the minivan was stolen, its doors were unlocked and the keys were inside.
“It was a delivery vehicle for Napa Auto Parts,” he said.
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