BELFAST — A Winterport man was indicted by a Waldo County Grand Jury for alleged aggravated criminal mischief Jan. 22.

Theodore Harris, 21, first came to the attention of law enforcement after several individuals made complaints about criminal mischief occurring in the area during the overnight hours of Sept. 24, according to an affidavit filed by Waldo County Sheriff’s Detective James Greeley.

After interviewing several individuals, Greeley was told by a convenience store worker that Theodore “Ted” Harris was a “good suspect” in the events, according to the affidavit. Although unknown at the time, it was later learned that one of the individuals was with Harris during at least some of the hours where several instances of criminal mischief occurred, police said.

Some of the damage included a broken window at a one-time DVD rental store, a broken library window, and many slashed tires. There were 10 individuals whose property was allegedly affected, in addition to damage done to property owned by the Town of Winterport and Winterport Memorial Library. 

One of the first two interviewed concerning the crimes was a worker at a Winterport convenience store, who said that Harris had come in the previous night just before closing to order a pizza, police said. Video surveillance footage would later show Harris in the company of one other person. 

Harris was ultimately located and initially said, according to the affidavit, he had not been out the night prior. Eventually, Harris allegedly said that he had been downtown.

Harris reportedly denied slashing any tires or doing “anything else mischievious that night,” according to the affidavit. 

When Greeley advised Harris he was awaiting surveillance footage from the gas station, and this was his last chance to “get out in front of it,” Harris reportedly reiterated that he had not done anything else that evening other than walking from a home on Water Street to another on Washington Street, both in Winterport. 

The affidavit said, “it should be noted that all the damage sustained last night was on the direct route in which [Harris] would have walked.” 

When later confronted with the fact that someone had called in a complaint saying that they saw Harris breaking a window at the Winterport Memorial Library, Harris reportedly initially admitted the act, though when asked about it again later he denied being involved. 

Harris was ultimately arrested and charged with aggravated criminal mischief for causing over $2,000 in damage. 

He is next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 11, at 9:30 a.m. 

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com