Car thieves take police off-road

    HOULTON — Numerous charges have been brought against two juveniles and an adult male from southern Aroostook after an evening of stealing cars and leading police in chase which included the ramming of a Maine State Police cruiser.
    The evening of Oct. 2 started with the State Police initiating simultaneous investigations into a stolen motor vehicle from Hodgdon and a missing juvenile from Ludlow.  It was later learned that the two complaints were connected.
    The stolen 2002 GMC pickup was first  spotted around midnight  by Border Patrol Agent Troy Keehn who attempted to stop it on I-95 in Houlton.  The vehicle failed to stop and continued south on I-95 at speeds over 95 mph before the suspects exited at Smyrna onto back roads.  The pursuit then slowed down greatly to speeds around 35 mph.  At approximately 15 miles into the chase, Sgt. Julie Bergan of the State Police set up a roadblock on the Keith Brook Road in Oakfield.  When the stolen vehicle went through the roadblock without stopping, Sgt. Bergan then took the  lead in the pursuit and pursued the pickup another 17 miles toward Island Falls.  At  this point, Trooper. Dennis Quint and Trooper Nicolas Casavant also joined in the pursuit. The speed of the pursuit then ranged between 25 and 60 mph.
    At one point during the pursuit, Sgt. Bergan was able to drive up alongside of the pickup and the truck slammed into Sgt. Bergan’s cruiser causing about $1,200 in damage.  More Border Patrol agents soon arrived and followed the pickup onto the Sleeper Road, a back country road in Sherman. The pursuit at that point was ended once the terrain became extremely difficult to maneuver in.
    The follow-up investigation into this incident determined that the three individuals abandoned the pickup in the woods and started walking out.  They walked for a great distance and came across another motor vehicle.  One of the juveniles, a male, found the keys to a 2004 Ford Taurus and they all drove for awhile.  Eighteen-year-old Sam Heath was then dropped off at home in Sherman and the two juveniles continued on to Mars Hill and met with two female juveniles, who got into the stolen vehicle headed to Presque Isle.
  At approximately 7:30 the next morning, Sgt. David McPherson of the State Police met the vehicle in Westfield and had knowledge that it was reported stolen from Sherman earlier that morning.  Sgt. McPherson conducted a felony traffic stop in Westfield and all occupants complied with his orders.  The juvenile male was arrested and the three other girls were transported to Presque Isle Police Dept. by Officer Larry Fickett.
    The juvenile male was arraigned in Presque Isle District Court later in the day on the following charges: two counts  unauthorized use of property; passing a police roadblock; driving to endanger; eluding a police officer; operating without license; speeding 30-plus mph over limit; and aggravated criminal mischief.
    Heath is facing charges of: two counts of unauthorized use of property; and operating a motor vehicle after suspension.
    The juvenile female is facing a charge of unauthorized use of property.