A Pittston man admitted to trying to steal a cash register at a downtown Gardiner business Wednesday morning, and police blame the man’s actions on addiction, said Gardiner Police Chief James Toman.

Toman said Jason Beckwith, 35, will be charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief after he said he walked into Berry & Berry Floral’s store on Water Street at 9:15 a.m. and started “attacking” the computerized cash register.

An unhurt cashier fled the store to a neighboring business, Toman said, and Beckwith eventually ran out of the store after unsuccessfully trying to get money out of the register.

After police arrived and began interviewing a similar-looking man on the street, Toman said Beckwith approached them to admit the crime, saying he did it because he was “dope sick.”

He was being interviewed at the Gardiner Police Department, and Toman said police are still trying to determine to which drugs he’s addicted.


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