Benjamin T. Heath, 34, of St. Johnsbury, was cited to appear February 12

ST. JOHNSBURY — It wasn’t an everyday occurrence as crimes go, but on January 30, Benjamin T. Heath, 34, of St. Johnsbury, was cited to appear February 12 in Caledonia Court on charges of burglary and felony unlawful mischief at Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium – after he let St. Johnsbury Police officers into the museum after they knocked on the door. The incident began on December 23, 2023, when St. Johnsbury Police officers responded to a burglary alarm at the museum. On arrival, Heath was inside the building and opened the door for police. He advised police that he came in through an open door to stay warm and could not get out once inside the building. His story fell apart when officers reminded Heath that he had just opened the front door to let police in. Further investigation revealed that he allegedly pried open the door to get in, doing $1,025 in damage to the planetarium door, which was a specially-made $4,000 fire door.