SOUTH PORTLAND — Police made an arrest following a robbery at gunpoint at a Rite Aid drug store on Sunday. 

Jace Murphy, 18, of Washburn Avenue in Portland, was charged with armed robbery and violating conditions of release from a prior arrest. Washburn is one of two men suspected in the crime at the store. 

Police Sgt. Adam Howard said in a press release that officers were called to the Rite Aid at 279 Main St. at 12:13 p.m. after a store employee and a customer saw two white men trying to leave with two high-end bottles of liquor with the security tags still attached.

Howard said when the employee tried to stop them, one of the men lifted his shirt, displayed a handgun and said “back-off.”

A witness was able to give police the license plate number of the white Mitsubishi the men used to flee the scene.  

A Yarmouth police office eventually spotted the car, which was followed to Falmouth. The vehicle was stopped in Falmouth and two men were taken into custody.

South Portland police recovered two bottles of liquor and a loaded .45 caliber handgun from the vehicle, which was towed to South Portland.

Police said additional charges are possible.


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