AUGUSTA — A hamburger bandit remains on the lam after snatching snacks at the McDonald’s drive-through on Western Avenue.

The daring grab occurred around 6 p.m. Sunday when the unidentified man — believed to be a teenager — ran between a car and the takeout window as an employee handed a bag of food to the waiting driver, police said.

“He snatched the bag from her hand during the exchange,” said Augusta Police Lt. Christopher Massey.

Massey was leaving the Western Avenue Big Apple convenience store next door when a driver in the eastbound lanes flagged him down.

“He said, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but someone just stole a bag of food from McDonald’s,’ ” Massey said.

The tipster gave Massey a description of the thief, which included red jeans. Massey pulled into the Arby’s parking lot just down the street from McDonald’s and found a young man in red jeans dipping into a McDonald’s bag.

When the lieutenant asked to speak to him, the unidentified man swore at Massey and ran into the woods.

McDonald’s employees replaced the stolen food for the customers, whom Massey found enjoying their meal in a car parked nearby. The three males all appeared to be in their teens, Massey said.

“They claim they didn’t know who he was,” Massey said.

McDonald’s management did not press charges against the thief, Massey said. The order totaled about $20.

“They said that does happen occasionally,” Massey said.

Craig Crosby — 621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com