NAPLES – The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office charged one Bridgton man Monday and is looking for two more in connection with the theft of an an antique Packard worth an estimated $120,000.
Detective Lt. Donald Foss said Monday night that Matthew D. Jarvinen, 23, of 5 Noble Lane was arrested at his home at 5:30 p.m. by Cumberland County and Bridgton police. He was charged with theft by unauthorized taking and taken to the Cumberland County Jail in Portland.
Police were still looking for two more Bridgton men believed involved in this month’s incident: Paul J. Grenier, 23, of 1224 North High St. and Joel R. Jordan, 23, of 37 Main St., both named in warrants charging them with theft by unauthorized taking in the March 4 and 5 theft, Foss said.
Police also believe the crime involved a Bridgton-area teenage girl who is in jail on an unrelated charge, Cumberland County Capt. Don Goulet said.
The 1937 Packard 120 convertible was stolen from 54 Bayou Road in Naples, along with the 1994 Pace American trailer it was stored in and a 1994 GMC 3500 four-door pickup. The vehicles belong to John Betz, a Florida resident with a summer home in Maine.
Police asked for the public’s help last week after exhausting their leads in the case. The vehicles were found the same day, March 11, after an employee at the Fireside Inn on Washington Street in Auburn heard about the thefts through media reports. The employee called the Auburn police and said he had seen the truck and trailer at the inn and caught a glimpse of the Packard inside the trailer.
Goulet said the employee, who was not identified, has not yet received the $10,000 reward promised by Betz for information leading the recovery of the vehicles and prosecution of the thieves.
“My guess is it’s not going to be paid out until there’s some kind of result,” Goulet said.
All three men are described as being Caucasian with brown hair and eyes. Grenier is described as being 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds; and Jordan 5 feet, 9 inches tall and 160 pounds.
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