Eastside man arrested on drug, theft charges had seven bench warrants, too

Anthony W. Freeman

ROCHESTER - The East Rochester man who stole a bike from the Strafford County Superior Court in Dover in November, just moments after his release from the nearby county jail, was arrested again on Wednesday on drug and theft charges along with one capias warrant and six bench warrants.

Anthony W. Freeman, 19, of 81 Main St., was spotted by police officers around 7:15 p.m. near the Rochester One Stop on South Main Street and taken into custody.

The theft charge was for Freeman's allegedly stealing $1,250 worth of cigarettes from the Irving Circle K in Gonic on Nov. 24, while the drug charge was for heroin found in his possession on Wednesday.

Freeman's capias was related to theft, while the bench warrants comprised charges on receiving stolen property, two willful concealments, criminal trespass, public urination and operating without a valid license.

Capias warrants are issued by Superior Courts, while bench warrants are issued by the circuit courts like Rochester District Court. Freeman was expected to be arraigned sometime today.

It was back on Nov. 19 that Freeman, who had just been released from Strafford County Jail, stole a mountain bike from in front of the Strafford County Courthouse "because he needed a ride home," Strafford County Sheriff's Office officials said.

Deputies got involved in the stolen bike case after an adult male said his blue mountain mike and black backpack were stolen from the front of the Strafford County Justice and Administrative Building while he was conducting business in the building.

The victim told deputies he parked his bike and went into the building for about 20 minutes only to find it missing when he returned.

Strafford County Sheriff Deputies and Strafford County Sheriff Court Security Officers viewed video footage of the theft, which showed a tall male wearing all dark clothing, take the bike from the front of the building.

A short while later, a Sheriff's Deputy, assigned to the case located the suspect riding the bike on Old Dover Road in Rochester. The defendant told the deputy that he was just released from the Strafford County House of Corrections and took the bike because he needed a ride home.