Belfast Police arrested a man suspected of stealing a trailer full of recyclables intended to fund community events for a local veterans group.
Ryan Hast, 35, of Morrill was arrested and charged with felony theft in Belfast Thursday evening following a tip, said Belfast Police Chief Robert Cormier. Police did not disclose the value of the trailer and recyclables stolen.
Belfast police began investigating the theft at the Randall Collins VFW Post 3108 on Field Street on Monday. They turned to social media for help, posting a photo of the vehicle allegedly involved in the theft and asking the public for tips.
At about 7:30 a.m. Thursday, police found the stolen trailer in the woods on Back Searsport Road and seized it for evidence, Cormier said. Police later identified Hast as a suspect in their investigation and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Police received a tip about a vehicle matching the one seen in security footage from the VFW on Thursday afternoon, Cormier said. They confirmed the vehicle belonged to Hast during a traffic stop on Hammond Road in Swanville at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Hast was arrested and brought to the Belfast Police Department for questioning and his vehicle was impounded for evidence. Hast is currently being held at the Waldo County Jail on cash bail.
“We hope that by bringing this case to a close quickly, it brings some closure for the members of the post who were impacted by the thefts,” Cormier said.
