Police Probe Painting Theft from Downtown Business

The following is an excerpt from the Portsmouth police log from Thursday, Jan. 2 to Saturday, Jan. 5.

Thursday:

• At 8:19 a.m., police charged two juveniles with truancy at Beechstone Apartments after their mother said they refused to go to school and took their Xbox gaming system out of the car and re-hooked it up.
• At 8:35 a.m., police took a 12-year-old juvenile into protective custody on Lafayette Road after he did not go to school.
• At 1:02 p.m., police reported a burglary on Dennett Street.
• At 1:16 p.m., police reported a theft of a painting from the lobby of a Market Street business.
• At 4:39 p.m., police charged a Portsmouth man with motor vehicle offenses on Penhallow and Daniel streets. Mark Harrison, 31, of 52 Wibird St. in Portsmouth was charged with operating after suspension of registration and driving after revocation or suspension.

Friday:

• At 3:06 p.m., police responded to a simple assault on Hanover Street where two people were fighting and one female subject was dragged by a car after the driver left the scene. Police issued an all points bulletin for a silver, four-door car with four occupants.
• At 3:24 p.m., police reported fraudulent use of a credit card that had charges of $40,000 on West Road.
• At 7:24 p.m., police reported a theft of syringes and medical supplies from some rooms at Portsmouth Regional Hospital on Borthwick Avenue.

Saturday:

• At 3:09 a.m., police arrested a Portsmouth man for drunken driving on Greenland Road. Ercan Erden, 19, of 1447 Islington St. in Portsmouth was charged with driving while intoxicated.
• At 8:38 p.m., police reported a burglary on Johnson Court after the caller came home from vacation and saw someone had broken into their home and took several items, including a piggy bank and a watch.
• At 8:45 p.m., police reported a theft at a Woodbury Avenue business after an employee said a customer "scammed" them out of an undisclosed amount of money.
• At 8:49 p.m., police reported a theft on Lafayette Road after the caller said someone had taken items from her car.
• At 11:11 p.m., police reported a simple assault on Lafayette Road after the caller said she was jumped in a parking lot and hit in the head with a tire iron.