William J. Ruest, 67, was arrested at his apartment in Fryeburg on Tuesday as a fugitive from justice in New Hampshire where he is wanted on three charges of felony burglary. Fryeburg Police Department

FRYEBURG — Police arrested a local man Tuesday wanted in New Hampshire for several burglaries, according to a Fryeburg Police Department news release.

Fryeburg Police Chief Aaron Mick said his department assisted Conway, New Hampshire, police in obtaining search and arrest warrants for William Ruest, 67, and his apartment and vehicle.

Ruest is being held at the Oxford County Jail in Paris on a charge of being a fugitive from justice pending extradition to New Hampshire, Mick said.

Conway Police Department conducted a lengthy investigation of burglaries at three North Conway businesses — Ben and Jerry’s, Priscilla’s Country Kitchen and Hooligans Restaurant — that occurred at the end of June and beginning of July, according to an article in The Conway Daily Sun on Wednesday.

Conway’s July 2 police log said a safe was broken into and money was taken at Hooligans at 21 Kearsarge Road. Some five days earlier on June 27 at 5:47 a.m., a Ben and Jerry’s employee reported a front screen and window was broken at the 26 Norcross Circle business. Less than an hour later, a break-in was reported at Priscilla’s at 2541 White Mountain Highway where a cash register was discovered smashed up and money was missing.

Mick credits Conway police’s careful and thorough investigation for making Ruest’s apprehension successful.

“These types of joint investigations are critical to the successful arrest and apprehension of criminals who attempt to flee across state borders,” Mick said.

In turn, Conway Police Chief Christopher Mattei thanked Fryeburg police for their assistance.

“We are extremely fortunate to have such a close partnership with the Fryeburg Police Department and that is crucial to the overall mission,” Mattie said.

The Conway Daily Sun also shared that police suggest businesses take steps to protect themselves. Those suggestions include making nightly deposits and not leaving loose cash in the business, equip functional video surveillance and alarm systems and report any suspicious activity immediately to local police.