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Awakened neighbors report burglary noise

Posted June 23, 2009, at 10:58 p.m.

A Milford man who broke into an Orono pizza place on Monday made so much noise while trying to get into the business’ safe with a crowbar that he woke up neighbors who called police, Orono police Sgt. Scott Wilcox said Tuesday.

The caller reported a burglary in progress at Lissus Pizza on Mill Street at 4:16 a.m.

When police arrived, they found Joshua Coffin, 18, inside with $203 in cash taken from the cash register in his pocket, along with a bag of marijuana and a small knife, Wilcox said. Coffin also had a crowbar he had used to gain entry to the building and that he used in his attempt to open the pizza shop’s safe, the sergeant said.

“It was determined that he was in there for about an hour,” Wilcox said. “There is a significant amount of damage to the safe to the point it will probably have to be replaced.”

Coffin was charged with felony burglary and taken to Penobscot County Jail in Bangor. Wilcox said the department has recommended that the district attorney also charge Coffin with criminal mischief, theft, possession of a usable amount of marijuana, criminal trespass, possession and transfer of burglary tools, and carrying a concealed weapon.

The Class C burglary charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Coffin appeared in 3rd District Court on Monday afternoon and was released at court, a jail official said.