Editor’s Note: An arrest or summons does not constitute a finding of guilt. An individual charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at criminal proceedings.
HOULTON, Maine — The Maine State Police Troop F barracks in Houlton responded to a number of calls for service during the period of Aug. 2-8, including the following.
Monday, Aug. 2
CROSS LAKE — Trooper Martin stopped a vehicle on 161 in Cross Lake for a motor vehicle defect. As he conducted his roadside investigation, he learned that the operator’s license was currently suspended for not paying a fine. A passenger in the vehicle also had a suspended license and was not able to drive. Tr. Martin worked with the operator and a licensed driver was located and able to drive the vehicle for the owner. She was cited for the violation.
SMYRNA — Tr. Cotton was attempting to locate a subject wanted on several outstanding warrants with charges ranging from violation conditions of release to domestic violence. His investigation led him to a home in Smyrna and as Tr. Cotton spoke with the homeowner, the subject he was looking for had hidden in the basement and then fled out the back of the house. Sgt. Fuller and Tr. Barnard arrived a short time later and the man was located in a wooded area near the home. He was arrested and taken to jail.
Wednesday, Aug. 4
PORTAGE LAKE — Tr. Martin took a report of a stolen heavy equipment trailer in Portage Lake. The trailer had been used by a local contractor to move heavy equipment in the area and had been left unattended in an area where logging equipment is commonly stored. The investigation is ongoing, and the trailer has been entered into a national database of stolen property.
DYER BROOK — Tr. Cotton stopped a vehicle in Dyer Brook for a defective brake light. Through his investigation Tr. Cotton learned that the man’s license was currently suspended. The man was on his way to work so Tr. Cotton arranged to have the man get to his work location and subsequently summoned him to he Houlton court for operating after suspension.
FRENCHVILLE — Tr. Curtin responded to a motor vehicle crash in Frenchville after receiving a report of a vehicle in the ditch. As a result of Tr. Curtin’s investigation, he arrested and charged the male operator for operating under the influence.
FORT FAIRFIELD — Cpl. Casavant arrested a 23-year old Portage man on a temporary warrant for domestic violence criminal threatening after an investigation by Presque Isle Police Department.
Thursday, Aug. 5
VAN BUREN — Tr. Desrosier was conducting traffic enforcement in the town of Van Buren when he stopped a vehicle for a speeding infraction. Tr. Desrosier observed alcohol in the back seat of the vehicle. The operator was only 19 years of age and stated that the alcohol was from a recent camping trip. Tr. Desrosier seized the alcohol and issued a summons for illegal possession of alcohol by a minor.
VAN BUREN — Tr. Desrosier was conducting traffic enforcement in the town of Van Buren when he stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. Tr. Desrosiers’s investigation led him to believe that the operator was under the influence of alcohol. Once Tr. Desrosier was finished with his investigation, the man was arrested for OUI. The man was released on bail with a court date.
HODGDON — Tr. Cotton arrested a man on two outstanding warrants stemming from driving offenses out of the Bangor area. Tr. Cotton had found the man walking in the roadway and obstructing traffic. The man was arrested without incident and taken to the Aroostook County Jail.
WESTON — Tr. Sylvia took the report of a stolen motor vehicle from a Bible camp in Weston. The owner of the vehicle reported one of the employees had been drinking and took the vehicle without permission sometime in the night. They believed he may be trying to get to central Maine where he lives. Tr. Sylvia entered a File 1 and the vehicle was stopped by the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office in Eddington. The 55-year old Turner man was arrested and charged with theft by unauthorized use of property.
VAN BUREN — Tr. Merchant and Tr. Mahon assisted Maine Pretrial with a bail violation in Van Buren. The suspect’s case manager advised the 32-year old man was on 24/7 house arrest; however, his issued GPS device was showing that he had been in several other towns. Troopers located the man at home and arrested him without incident. He was transported to the Aroostook County Jail.
Friday, Aug. 6
PRESQUE ISLE — Tr. Rider overheard radio traffic from the PIPD of an altercation at an apartment building where a man had brandished a firearm. Tr. Rider responded to the call with PIPD officers. The men had been drinking and an argument started over rent money. The men were separated for the night and the roommate stated he was moving back to Bangor. No charges were filed.
FRENCHVILLE — Tr. Desrosier was conducting traffic enforcement in the town of Frenchville when he stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. Tr. Desrosier was able to smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle. The operator was under the age of 21. Tr. Desrosier located and seized marijuana and its variants from the car. Tr. Desrosier issued a summons to the driver.
SMYRNA — Tr. Castonguay was conducting rural patrol near the town of Smyrna when he received a traffic complaint from a neighbor reporting a vehicle that was operating in an erratic manner. Tr. Castonguay met the vehicle and observed that the vehicle made a bad pass and was not staying in its travel lane. Tr. Castonguay stopped the vehicle and once his investigation was completed, arrested the operator for OUI. The operator was released on bail with a court date.
WALLAGRASS — Tr. Curtin assisted the Fort Kent Police Department with recovering a vehicle that had been reported stolen on 8-4-21. Tr. Curtin located the vehicle approximately a mile and a half in the woods in Wallagrass. Arrangements were made with the owner to get the vehicle.
Saturday, Aug. 7
LITTLETON — Tr. Kilcollins attended a Touch a Truck event in the town of Littleton, a fundraiser to update their town playground and ball field. Cpl. Quint, who was on vacation, lent the town a hand with being the “fun police”. Eventually people in town grew tired of being harassed by Cpl. Quint and collected enough money to have him arrested.
WALLAGRASS — Tr. Martin and Tr. Levesque as well as Recruit Roy responded to the report of a vehicle on its roof on Route 11 in Wallagrass. Initially, troopers were concerned that the operator had been ejected from the vehicle. A search of the local area was conducted, but as the investigation unfolded, it became apparent that the operator had fled the scene of the crash. Tr. Levesque and K-9 Rocco searched for the operator, but it was clear the operator had left the area. Later in the evening a woman reported that her boyfriend had been injured when someone had assaulted him and taken his vehicle. As that investigation progressed, it became apparent that the boyfriend had been the operator of the vehicle that had been found on its roof earlier in the evening. During the investigation, Tr. Martin also learned that the woman had been assaulted by her boyfriend recently but had not reported the incident. The man was arrested by Tr. Martin and charged with several offenses, including leaving the scene of a personal injury crash, failure to report a crash, and domestic violence assault with priors. The man was medically cleared by a local hospital and then transported the Aroostook County Jail.
MAPLETON — Tr. Levesque and K-9 Rocco responded to several calls for service this week. Among them were the following two calls: While assisting the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office in Mapleton, K-9 Rocco was able to locate a local man who had attempted to break into a relative’s home. The man was thought to have left the area, but Rocco located the man hiding in a garage attic. He was taken into custody by officers without incident. In another call, he assisted PIPD with attempting to locate a suicidal 17-year-old female who had run away from home. The track was not successful due to a possible 10-hour delay and scene contamination, but the team nonetheless attempted to locate the female and assisted in the investigation through the shift.
LITTLETON — Cpl. Michaud responded to a neighborhood in Littleton when reports were received from several parties about a dispute that was ongoing over noise issues. Cpl. Michaud learned that a local club had been rented out for a wedding. As the night progressed a nearby resident was frustrated with noise coming from the wedding and confronted people at the event. A yelling match ensued between the parties, prompting both sides to call the police. Cpl. Michaud was able to get both parties to come to a compromise regarding the noise and there were no more issues at the event.
