Maine Man Arrested after Trying to Steal a Safe in a Suitcase

A Maine man is facing charges and another remains at large after police found them dragging a stolen safe in a suitcase.

How Did the Crime Go Wrong?

The secret to a successful criminal plot has a lot to do with planning. How will you get in? How will you get out? And how will you carry what you steal? In this recent case in Portland, the plan fell through on that last item, as the thieves seem to have failed to come up with a way to transport the safe they allegedly stole from a local business.

When Did Police Find the Suspects?

Portland Police were called to 34 Exchange Street just before 7:00 Tuesday morning when the burglar alarm at the business was tripped. When the Officer arrived, he found Joseph Call, 45, of Portland and an accomplice, dragging a large suitcase through the snow. The suitcase contained a safe which the officer suspected, correctly, had been removed from the burglarized business.

Is There Still a Suspect at Large?

He ordered the pair to stop but they both took off on foot. One subject got away but Call was quickly taken into custody. He was charged with burglary, theft by unauthorized taking, refusing to submit to arrest, and violations of conditions of release and taken to the Cumberland County Jail for booking.

At last report, Portland Police were still looking for Call's alleged partner in crime. The suspect-at large is described as a white male wearing a tan/orange jacket with a dark hat and gloves. Investigators urge anyone with information about the man or the crime to call them at 207-874-8575.

We'll update this story as more details become available.