Dyment
What’s more, police say, she had just been given a ride in a police cruiser to escape the extreme winter cold a mere two hours prior to the theft. And she had posted bail just two days before that.
Sanford Police say Nicole Dyment, 19, of Canton, was arrested in Lewiston Monday after she allegedly stole a vehicle from the parking lot at Green Tea restaurant on Main Street just after 6 p.m. Sunday.
The car’s owner left the car running and the keys in the ignition when he went into the restaurant to pick up his take-out order, said Det. Eric Small.
Dyment is the same woman who was arrested Dec. 1 after leading sheriff ’s deputies on a 13-mile chase from Waterboro through Limerick in an Angry Orchard beer truck before crashing the refrigerated vehicle into a barn on Route 160. Dyment allegedly told authorities she was drunk and high on heroin when she stole the truck from a 7-11 parking lot in Portland earlier in the day.
In that case, she was charged with two counts of violating conditions of release, operating under the influence, failure to stop for an officer, driving to endanger and operating without a license, all class D or E misdemeanors.
According to York County Sheriff Bill King, Dyment was freed for a time on a pre-trial contract, but that was revoked at some point, and she was returned to York County Jail, where she remained on those charges – until last Friday, when she posted $500 cash bail.
About two hours prior to Sunday’s car theft, Sanford Police Officer Eddie Murphy was patrolling in his cruiser and stopped to give a ride to a woman who was walking in the extreme cold, according to Sanford PD. He took her to the police department so she could get warm.
After the car was stolen, police reviewed surveillance footage from the restaurant parking lot and discovered the thief was the same woman who had been in the cruiser.
Lewiston Police were called Monday by a tow truck driver, who had been contacted by a landlord to remove a vehicle from the parking lot of an apartment complex. The driver apparently attempted to convince the driver of the tow truck not to take the vehicle, so he called police.
When Lewiston PD ran the registration, they found the vehicle had been stolen from Sanford, said Lewiston Police Sgt. Michael Whalen.
Dyment was arrested and taken to Androscoggin County Jail, where she was denied bail. She faces new charges of violating conditions of release, theft by unauthorized taking, and failure to give police her correct name and address. She is expected to make a first appearance at Lewiston District Court on Wednesday.
Small said the vehicle has been returned to its rightful owner.
Sanford Police are using the incident to remind people not to leave their cars unlocked.
“The Sanford Police Department would like to remind the public not to leave their vehicles running and unattended, and to lock their vehicles at all times,” said Small. “Often, theft is a crime of opportunity, and simply locking your vehicle can prevent you from being a victim.”
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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