Too close a shave

OXFORD — A recent immigrant from New Hampshire was arrested Monday night, January 10, after trying to swipe a packet of disposable razors from Hannaford Supermarket.

Oxford Police Officer Alan Coffin arrested Damon J. Farrell, 19, of Greenwood, and charged him with a class "E" misdemeanor theft, after being called to the Hannaford store on Main Street by store security personnel. Farrell, the store workers told Coffin, had a bag of disposable razors concealed and was trying to leave the store when they caught up with him.

Farrell told Coffin and the store detectives that he had moved to Greenwood from the Granite State only days before and been offered a job at an area ski resort. However, he needed to show up clean-shaven. That is, beardless in his appearance, a condition not normally the case for the young man.     

Faced with the problems of not having money, having a beard and needing to shave, he told Coffin, the choice he made was to steal. Coffin was somewhat touched by the story, until a search revealed the man had on him much more than enough to buy the $10 package of razors.

His capture, however, resulted in his having to borrow a portion of the $100 bail. He'll be back in South Paris on March 17, Saint Patrick's Day, but not to celebrate. He'll be in court for his arraignment.  As a condition of his release, he is not to return to Hannaford.