Close, but no cigar

YORK, Maine - A police officer agreed to escort a car containing a pregnant woman to the hospital only to find the car was stolen — and the woman wasn't pregnant.

York Police Sgt. Brian Curtin said officers ran a computer check on the license plate en route to the hospital and discovered the Volkswagen Jetta had been stolen. Charged with receiving stolen property was 23-year-old Richard Saunders of Somersworth, N.H.

Officers initially stopped the car Monday night because a taillight was out, but agreed to escort the vehicle after the driver said his passenger was in labor.

Curtin said the woman slipped away after being checked into York Hospital. He said another woman who agreed to give her a lift to a convenience store later discovered $160 and a pack of cigarettes were missing from her purse.