A former Augusta man lost his bid to have the state’s highest court reverse a lower court suppression ruling and now will begin a four-year term of imprisonment for aggravated trafficking in heroin in Augusta in December 2015.

The remainder of the eight-year prison term of Michael L. Journet II, 39, now of South Portland, was ordered suspended while he spends four years on probation.

The state’s highest court, sitting as the Law Court, on Tuesday upheld the suppression decision in a case where Journet’s guilty plea to aggravated trafficking in heroin was conditioned on the appeals court ruling.

He has been free on bail pending that ruling.

Journet, who is African-American, claims he was a victim of racial profiling when his blue BMW sport utility vehicle was stopped Dec. 16, 2015, on Winthrop Court in Augusta. He said police had no probable cause to make an arrest without a warrant, and wanted it and his subsequent statements to police suppressed.

The prosecutor in the case, Assistant District Attorney Tyler LeClair, said the stop was based on a tip from a confidential informant that a drug dealer driving that type of vehicle would be bringing heroin to sell between 5 and 6 p.m. that night.

Journet drove onto the dead-end street about 6:40 p.m., and police stopped his vehicle.

In the original suppression decision, Superior Court Justice Lance Walker noted that along with the time and date, and type of vehicle, the tipster indicated that the dealer normally carried the heroin inside his pants,

Walker noted that a detective “observed that Mr. Journet’s pants zipper was down and his underwear was protruding outward.”

A woman passenger, who was “hysterical and screaming,” was taken to the Kennebec County jail and took from her underwear a bag containing almost 10 grams of heroin.

Journet later told police it was his heroin and he had throw it to her when they were pulled over.

The decision by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, written by Associate Justice Donald Alexander for the seven-member court, says, “(P)robable cause to arrest without a warrant exists when the facts and circumstances collectively known to the police, and of which they have reasonably trustworthy information, would warrant a prudent and cautious person to believe that the arrestee did commit or was committing a crime. … Because there was sufficient corroborated information to warrant any prudent and cautious person to believe that Journet was committing the offense of heroin trafficking, a felony, the trial court’s denial of the motion to suppress must be affirmed.”

Oral arguments in the case took place May 15.

Journet’s attorney, Leonard Sharon, said via email Tuesday that he was disappointed by the decision.

Journet was convicted in 2008 in Kennebec County of unlawful trafficking in heroin, for which he was sentenced to serve an initial 18 months of a five-year prison term.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

IN ANSON, Monday at 12:44 p.m., trespassing was reported on Pease Hill Road.

7:16 p.m., threatening was investigated on Greenleaf Road.

IN ATHENS, Monday at 12:02 p.m., a report of fraud was taken on Brighton Road.

IN BINGHAM, Monday at 2:21 p.m., an arrest was made after a disturbance on Main Street.

IN CANAAN, Tuesday at 12:11 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Hinckley Road.

IN CHESTERVILLE, Monday at 9:16 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Sand Pond Road.

IN CLINTON, Monday at 2:03 p.m., a civil complaint was taken on Hinckley Road.

2:13 p.m., criminal mischief was investigated on Main Street.

3:54 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Bellsqueeze Road.

5:12 p.m., a theft was investigated on Booker Lane.

IN FAIRFIELD, Monday at 11:02 a.m., threatening was reported on Summit Street.

2:21 p.m., a report of fraud was taken on Newhall Street.

2:28 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Oakland Road.

2:43 p.m., trespassing was investigated on Norridgewock Road.

6:40 p.m., a complaint was investigated on Osborne Street.

7:14 p.m., a complaint was taken on Montcalm Street.

8:39 p.m., trespassing was reported on Winter Street.

IN FARMINGTON, Monday at 12:11 p.m., a theft was reported on Perham Street.

10:16 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Titcomb Hill Road.

Tuesday at 3:16 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Seamon Road.

IN HARMONY, Monday at 1:51 p.m., a disturbance was investigated on Highland Avenue.

3:01 p.m., an assault was investigated on Highland Avenue.

IN JAY, Monday at 12:21 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on French Street.

11:25 p.m., a harassment complaint was taken on Church Street.

IN MADISON, Monday at 9:35 a.m., trespassing was reported on Glendale Street.

11:35 a.m., a complaint was investigated on Naomi Avenue.

11:53 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Winter Street.

12:50 p.m., an arrest was made on East Madison Road.

3:31 p.m., a scam complaint was investigated on Weston Avenue.

IN NEW SHARON, Monday at 12:29 a.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Starks Road.

9:42 a.m., a harassment complaint was taken on Cape Cod Hill Road.

IN OAKLAND, Monday at 8:42 a.m., a theft was investigated on Oak Street.

1:33 p.m., criminal mischief was reported on Sawtelle Road.

IN PALMYRA, Monday at 8:01 p.m., a harassment complaint was taken on Hubbard Road.

IN PITTSFIELD, Monday at 3:30 p.m., a disturbance was reported on North Main Street.

3:31 p.m., a disturbance was investigated on North Main Street.

8:49 p.m., a disturbance was investigated on Industrial Park Street.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Monday at 9:10 a.m., a complaint was taken on Milburn Street.

9:12 a.m., a theft was investigated on East Madison Road.

9:55 a.m., a theft was reported on North Avenue.

12:33 p.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Constitution Avenue.

12:56 p.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Chestnut Street.

1:30 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Canaan Road.

7:01 p.m., a complaint was taken on Geralds Way.

9:10 p.m., a complaint was taken on Constitution Avenue.

9:58 p.m., vandalism was reported on Pine Street.

Tuesday at 12:33 a.m., a theft was reported on Sesame Street.

2:14 a.m., a theft was reported on Milburn Street.

7:56 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Constitution Avenue.

8:47 a.m., a person was taken to the hospital after a report of suspicious activity on Canaan Road.

IN SMITHFIELD, Monday at 3:39 p.m., a theft was reported on Village Road.

IN STRONG, Monday at 9:32 a.m., a theft was reported on Lambert Hill Road.

IN VASSALBORO, Monday at 9:44 a.m., sex offenses were investigated on Riva Ridge Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Monday at 9:57 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

12:44 p.m., a report of a missing person was investigated on Western Avenue.

3:37 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

3:50 p.m., a theft was investigated on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

5:12 p.m., threatening was investigated on Main Street.

6:54 p.m., an assault was reported on North Street.

7:01 p.m., suspicious activity was reported at Kennebec Savings Bank on Main Street.

7:03 p.m., a noise complaint was taken on Silver Street.

8:08 p.m., juvenile offenses were reported on Water Street.

8:14 p.m., an unwanted person was reported on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

8:44 p.m., an accident involving an injury was reported on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

9:57 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated at the Head of Falls on Front Street.

10:51 p.m., an unwanted person was reported at The Big Apple store on Elm Street.

Tuesday at 1:09 a.m., a domestic dispute was investigated on Summer Street.

1:26 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Rideout Street.

1:43 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Summer Street.

3:25 a.m., an unwanted person was reported on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

IN WELD, Monday at 11:09 a.m., a burglary was reported on Center Hill Road.

IN WINSLOW, Monday at 12:34 p.m., a fire was reported on Pattees Pond Road.

1:04 p.m., a civil complaint was taken on China Road.

4:57 p.m., juvenile offenses were reported on Halifax Street.

9:01 p.m., a domestic dispute was investigated on Clinton Avenue.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Monday at 1:27 a.m., Kevin T. Florian, 32, of New Sharon, was arrested on a charge of domestic violence terrorizing.

2:19 a.m., Savannah R. Whittmore, 31, of Livermore Falls, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

5:55 p.m., Monica A. Rollins, 37, of Wilton, was arrested on a charge of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Tuesday at 3:56 p.m., Lorraine E. Hodgdon, 30, of Moscow, was arrested on a charge of assault.

8:04 p.m., Michael J. Poissonnier, 33, of Anson, was arrested as a fugitive from justice.

Tuesday at 7:22 a.m., Jenny R. Wickett, 37, of Fairfield, was arrested on a charge of violating condition of release.

IN WATERVILLE, Tuesday at 12:32 a.m., Natasha M. Nadeau, 28, of Waterville, was arrested on a warrant.

1:10 a.m., Ashley R. Blouin, 19, of Vassalboro, was arrested on a warrant and on charges of violating condition of release and operating a vehicle without a license.

SUMMONSES

IN OAKLAND, Monday at 9:45 p.m., Maximillian M. Hudson, 33, of Oakland, was summoned on a charge of operating while license suspended or revoked.

IN WATERVILLE, Monday at 10:27 p.m., Timothy G. McLaughlin, 37, was summoned on a charge of assault.

IN WINSLOW, Monday at 1:31 p.m., Nicholas C. Smith, 36, of Oakland, was summoned on a charge of operating after license suspension with one prior conviction.

An Augusta man pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court Bangor to lying to federal firearms dealers in order to obtain weapons.

He is among five people indicted last April on firearms charges. All initially entered not guilty pleas to the federal firearms violations.

Richard Quattrone, 48, of Augusta, pleaded guilty to two counts of lying to a federal firearms licensee on March 10, 2017. The indictment says he purchased a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol from Audette’s Inc. in Winthrop. It says that Quattrone “was an unlawful user of marijuana” at the time and that he intentionally wrote down an address that was not his current one.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives prohibits the sale of firearms and ammunition to those who use marijuana because it remains illegal under federal law, even if state laws such as Maine’s permit medical and recreational marijuana use.

Quattrone is represented by attorney Christopher MacLean.

Under a plea agreement signed in June, Quattrone waived his right to appeal any imprisonment that does not exceed 18 months.

He remains free on $5,000 unsecured bond with conditions. Convictions on charges of making false statements to firearms dealers carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.

Mark White, of Unity, and formerly of Searsmont, who also was indicted on two counts of lying to federal firearms dealers, is scheduled for a change of plea hearing Aug. 29 at U.S. District Court in Bangor.

He is accused of buying a Smith and Wesson SD40VE .40-caliber pistol on Jan. 31, 2017, from Parsons Small Engine & Gun Shop in Unity, and indicated he was the actual purchaser when he was not. The second count is similar and involves the purchase of a Glock model 9 mm pistol, again from Parsons.

The prosecution’s version of the offense says White bought the weapons for another, unidentified person who then was going to give them to someone outside Maine.

White is represented by attorney Ronald Bourget. A plea agreement in White’s case indicates he waives the right to appeal any imprisonment that does not exceed 16 months.

While he was initially free on $5,000 unsecured bond, White has been held in custody since early June pending disposition of the case. Federal authorities arrested him after he allegedly failed to appear in state court on charges of operating after suspension and attaching false plates, changed his address and failed to contact the supervising probation officer, and used cocaine.

Of the three other men charged, Steven P. Springer II pleaded guilty May 29 to two counts of making false statements to firearms dealers. He is awaiting sentencing.

Donald Henderson, 33, of Winthrop, who was charged with two counts of making false statements to a federal firearms licensee, originally was scheduled for a change of plea hearing Tuesday, but it was postponed until Sept. 24. He remains free on $5,000 unsecured bond.

Henderson’s indictment says he made false statements on Feb. 28, 2017, while buying a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol from Audette’s Inc., located in Winthrop. It alleges he checked a box indicating he was not an unlawful user of marijuana when, in fact, he was. The allegation is repeated in the second count, which says Henderson purchased an SCCY model CPX-1, 9 mm pistol on March 2, 2017, also from Audette’s.

David O. Miles Jr., 27, of Hartland, who faces one charge of making a false statement to a federal firearms licensee, is on the trial list for September. The indictment says he bought two pistols, an SCCY CPX-1 9 mm and an SCCY CPX-2 9 mm, on March 2, 2015, from Bio-Rem Auto Sales, which is in St. Albans, and said the firearms were for him, which was untrue.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

The owner of a Brunswick senior housing complex is facing felony charges alleging financial crimes.

Amy McLellan, 61, was indicted Friday on two counts of misuse of entrusted property of a vulnerable person and theft. She owns the McLellan, an apartment complex for seniors that opened last year. Court records did not specify the value of the money or property involved, but indicate it was more than $10,000.

Few details about the case were available in the wake of the indictment, but the Brunswick Police Department confirmed it has been investigating McLellan since last year.

Amy McLellan

“I cannot say too much at this point other than we received a complaint last fall from the Financial Abuse Specialist Team at the Maine (Department of Health and Human Services) about alleged financial improprieties between McLellan and two of the residents at her elderly apartment facility in Brunswick,” Cmdr. Mark Waltz wrote in an email. “The investigation included witness interviews, execution of a search warrant and a review of financial records.”

Waltz said the department turned the results of its investigation over to the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, which presented the case to a grand jury. He did not respond to a request for more information. A copy of the search warrant was not immediately available. A spokeswoman for Maine DHHS declined to comment on the case, citing state law about the confidentiality of adult protective records. A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office also declined to say more about the case.

In the indictment, McLellan is accused of misusing property entrusted to her by David Fratus, resulting in a loss of more than $10,000. She is also accused of committing theft “by obtaining or exercising unauthorized control over a business loan, property of Norway Savings Bank, of a value more than $10,000, with the intent to deprive Norway Savings Bank of the property.”

The offenses allegedly took place between April 2016 and October 2017.

McLellan, who lives in Brunswick, declined to comment Tuesday when reached by phone.

“I would love to, but I don’t think I should,” she said.

Her lawyer, Kristine Hanly, provided a statement via email Tuesday evening.

“A contract dispute arose between Mr. Fratus and Ms. McLellan,” Hanly wrote. “Through their respective attorneys, they resolved the matter in civil court to the satisfaction of both parties. Accordingly, Mr. Fratus dismissed his civil complaint against Ms. McLellan. The mortgage held by Norway Savings Bank has been paid in full. It is unclear to me why the State is expending time and resources prosecuting Ms. McLellan in a matter that is civil in nature and has already been resolved to the benefit of all parties.”

McLellan is a registered nurse with an active license from the Maine State Board of Nursing. In 2016, she purchased a former nursing home on Cumberland Street in Brunswick and renovated it to become assisted living for people 62 years and older. She obtained financing for the project through Coastal Enterprises Inc., an economic development and financing agency in Brunswick, as well as Norway Savings Bank and the Granite State Development Corp., according to a CEI blog post.

The building is now 18 apartments, in addition to an owner’s residence. Documents submitted to the Brunswick Planning Board in 2016 describe a mix of units dedicated either to independent senior living or more intense congregate care. McLellan said in a 2016 interview with the Times Record that she would be the resident nurse on the property.

Entry fees at the McLellan are between $35,000 and $85,000, with monthly fees between $2,300 and $4,500, according to its website. Additional fees might apply for a second person in the apartment or a garage space. The monthly fee includes one meal a day, as well as amenities such as a fitness center and a community garden.

A background check showed McLellan does not have any other criminal record in Maine. The two charges are Class B crimes, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. She will be arraigned Sept. 18 in Cumberland County Superior Court.

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 8:19 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Northern Avenue.

8:30 a.m., theft was reported on Bond Brook Road.

10:50 a.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Garden Court and Civic Center Drive.

12:42 p.m., indecency was reported on Water Street.

1:30 p.m., criminal trespass was reported on Riverside Drive.

1:32 p.m., theft was reported on Winthrop Street.

2:19 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Winthrop Street.

2:36 p.m., an animal well-being check was done on Sherbrook Street.

2:46 p.m., shoplifting was reported on Civic Center Drive.

4:41 p.m., an animal well-being check was done on Sherbrook Street.

4:45 p.m., a mental health and well-being check was done on Glen Street.

4:45 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Western Avenue.

6:07 p.m., needles were recovered on Water Street.

6:16 p.m., theft was reported on Eastern Avenue.

6:34 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Water Street.

7:16 p.m., property was recovered on Capitol Street.

8:27 p.m., terrorizing was reported on Middle Street.

8:57 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Civic Center Drive.

9:19 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Whitten Road.

10:36 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Water Street.

10:51 p.m., criminal threatening was reported on Northern Avenue.

Wednesday at 3:04 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Canal Street.

IN MONMOUTH, Tuesday at 4:45 p.m., harassment was reported on New Street.

6:50 p.m., harassment was reported on Main Street.

ARRESTS

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 11:42 a.m., Brad Day, 43, of Augusta was arrested on charges of violating conditions of release and disorderly conduct (offensive words, gestures), on Community Drive.

SUMMONSES

IN AUGUSTA, Tuesday at 10:19 a.m., Dawna A. Whitmore, 48, of Gardiner was summonsed on two charges of negotiating a worthless instrument, on Riverside Drive.

10:52 a.m., Jeffrey A. Johnson, 59, of Augusta was summonsed on four charges of negotiating a worthless instrument, on Willow Street.

5:18 p.m., a 28-year-old Augusta man was summonsed on charges of operating while license was suspended or revoked, after a traffic stop was done on Hospital Street and Sixth Avenue.

11:03 p.m., Nicholas F. Presby, 36, of Whitefield was summonsed on a charge of motor vehicle speeding (30+ mph over speed limit), after a traffic stop was done on Eastern Avenue and Shaw Road.

In what privacy experts say is part of a disturbing trend, the investigation into a recent string of armed robberies in the Portland area involved a sweeping FBI demand for Google user location data.

The court-approved demand, first reported by Forbes magazine, would have included sensitive personal data on every Google location services user in range of two or more robberies within 30 minutes of the crimes, including innocent bystanders. Despite being served with a search warrant, Google never complied with the demand.

The top legal expert at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Maine chapter said the broad nature of the FBI’s demand creates an “enormous privacy issue.”

“Law enforcement agencies seem intent on finding new ways to use our personal data against us,” said ACLU of Maine Legal Director Zachary Heiden.

The FBI’s New England spokeswoman, Kristen Setera, said the agency could not comment on the data demand because the serial robbery case is still pending in the courts. The perpetrator has pleaded guilty but has not yet been sentenced.

The Forbes article described the demand as “unprecedented,” but prosecutors would neither confirm nor deny that characterization.

This week, an investigation by the Associated Press found that many Google services on Android devices and iPhones store users’ location data even if they’ve chosen a privacy setting that is supposed to prevent Google from doing so.

U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Donald Clark indicated that the privacy issue surrounding the FBI’s demand is moot because investigators never received the user data from Google.

“The procedure followed here was to seek a warrant from a United States District Court judge, which was obtained,” Clark said. “And at the end of the day, no information was provided. So whatever privacy issues are implicated, were not.”

SERIAL ROBBER STRIKES PORTLAND

Earlier this year, local police and the FBI were investigating more than a dozen unsolved robberies of small businesses in the Portland area that occurred in March and April over a period of less than a month, including a cluster of four in the span of just over 24 hours.

The unusual rash of robberies alarmed small-business owners and their employees. Police increased their patrols and advised people to comply with the robber’s demands rather than try to resist. Still, some business owners were frustrated and defiant, and one put a loaded gun behind his convenience store counter when the robber hit a nearby shop.

According to a search warrant signed March 30 by Maine U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock Jr., the FBI demanded that Google, the technology giant based in Mountain View, California, turn over data that would identify any person using Google location services on a mobile device near “two or more of the locations where the robberies occurred at the date and time the robberies occurred.”

Travis Card appears in court for his arraignment on April 17 in Portland. He now faces as much as 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of 11 robberies or attempted robberies.

The warrant sought comprehensive information on each user, including “full name, physical address, telephone numbers and other identifiers, records of session times and durations, the date on which the account was created, the length of service, the IP address used to register the account, log-in IP addresses associated with session times and dates, account status, alternative email addresses provided during registration, methods of connecting, log files, and means and source of payment, including any credit or bank account number.”

The warrant also included a gag order prohibiting Google from notifying customers about the FBI’s demand for their data.

According to the search warrant return filed with the court Aug. 6, the tech giant never turned over the data.

“Google did not provide information responsive to the warrant,” it says.

Google representatives did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment on why the company did not comply with the FBI’s court-approved demand.

Heiden, the ACLU attorney, said most mobile phone users aren’t even aware that the government wants to be able to use their phones to track their locations.

“We don’t buy these phones and pay the fees to these companies so that the police can track us,” he said.

OTHER MEANS TO CATCH A SUSPECT

A man suspected of being the robber eventually was caught. Westbrook resident Travis Card, 38, pleaded guilty Aug. 2 to 11 of the 14 robberies or attempted robberies. He now faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the 11 crimes.

Card ultimately was identified and apprehended through other investigative methods.

Westbrook police arrested Card on William Clarke Drive on April 13 at 6:30 a.m. on his way to work. He had a family home in Windham but had been staying with his father in Westbrook. A search of the father’s apartment that day turned up a black pellet gun and a pair of work boots that matched footprints at one robbery, according to a prosecution document filed with the court.

The investigators used shoes, surveillance footage, DNA samples and other evidence to tie Card to the crimes. The prosecution document stated that Card robbed eight businesses in March and April: Riverton Gas Station in Portland on March 20; Lil’ Mart Gas Station in Falmouth on March 21; Good Things Variety in Westbrook on March 22; Express Mart in Cumberland on March 22; the Daily Grind in Westbrook on March 24; Subway in Westbrook on March 26; China Eatery in Old Orchard Beach on March 29; and Gulf Mart in Westbrook on April 6.

He left each business with sums of money ranging from $198 to $650, according to court records. The total amount stolen was nearly $3,000.

The prosecution document also states that Card attempted to rob three other businesses: China Taste in Portland on March 25; Aroma Joe’s in South Portland on March 27; and Moby Dick Variety in Old Orchard Beach on April 11. In those incidents, Card left with nothing. At China Taste, a language barrier prevented him from communicating his demands. The clerk at Aroma Joe’s locked herself in a bathroom, while an employee at Moby Dick Variety brandished a club.

During the robberies, Card brandished what appeared to be a firearm. The prosecution document identified it as a black pellet gun.

The investigation did not connect Card to similar robberies at businesses in Auburn, Topsham and Brunswick.

Heiden said it is incumbent upon companies such as Google that amass large amounts of sensitive customer data to ensure that information is protected from overly broad government searches.

The search in this case was extremely broad, he said, covering an area of about 45 hectares that encompasses much of the Portland-South Portland area.

“Having such a broad search means that more and more innocent people – people who have not done anything wrong – were going to have their personal data swept up and turned over to the government,” Heiden said.

Staff Writer Megan Doyle contributed to this report.

J. Craig Anderson can be contacted at 791-6390 or at:

canderson@pressherald.com

Twitter: jcraiganderson

PARIS — A Massachusetts woman charged with stabbing her husband in the chest at a camp in Stoneham is free on bail, police said.

Amanda Collins, 46, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was arrested on charges of Class A elevated aggravated assault and Class B aggravated assault, felonies punishable by up to 30 years and 10 years in prison, respectively.

According to an arrest affidavit by Cpl. Richard Murray of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, he and Lt. Chancey Libby responded to a report of a stabbing at a camp on Kezar Pond Road on Aug. 7. Murray said Collins and her husband had been arguing and he grabbed her shoulders and told her to stop swearing, then let her go. She then picked up a 9.5-inch Farberware knife and stabbed him in the upper left chest.

“(The husband) said that after she stabbed him, she quickly grabbed a first aid kit and helped him tape it up and tried to stop the bleeding,” Murray wrote. “(The husband) also advised me that their daughter witnessed all of this.”

He was taken to Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway and later transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland to treat a punctured lung.

Collins was taken to the Oxford County Jail in Paris and released on $2,500 cash bail the following day. She is not to use or possess alcohol, illegal drugs, or dangerous weapons, and have no contact with her husband, except through third party for issues regarding their child.

SKOWHEGAN — A Skowhegan man pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning in court to an assault charge involving a Skowhegan police officer, arguing that he was having an epileptic seizure at the time and was not fighting back.

Meanwhile, the man’s father said they will hire an out-of-town lawyer because they think local attorneys would not give his son a fair shake.

Noah Goodridge, 20, is charged with simple assault based on a June 12 incident involving Skowhegan police Officer Ryan Blakeney, according to the charge read by District Court Judge Andrew Benson.

Goodridge’s father, Paul Goodridge, filed a complaint against the officer in June for not recognizing that his son was having an epileptic seizure at the time. He claims the officer mistakenly thought his son was high on drugs. The incident occurred outside the NAPA auto parts store in downtown Skowhegan, where Noah Goodridge had gone to fill out an employment application, Paul Goodridge said.

“I talked to the D.A. and he said something in the report about ‘pseudo seizures,'” Paul Goodridge said, adding that the report implies that the seizures were not real.

“That was wrong. It’s wrong,” Noah Goodridge added outside the courthouse following his arraignment Wednesday. “I am not guilty.”

Paul Goodridge said pseudo-seizures are as real as epileptic seizures and that his son suffers from 10 types of seizures. That’s what happened when Blakeney approached his son on June 12 he said.

“They should have sent the ambulance, not the cops, in the first place,” Paul Goodridge writes in the complaint. “Officer Blakeney evidently thought my son was on narcotics and arrested him and brought him to the hospital.”

Goodridge said his son has a documented history of epileptic seizures, with dozens of hospital visits on his medical record.

Skowhegan police Chief David Bucknam said Noah Goodridge was cleared for release to police custody by the medical staff at Redington-Fairview General Hospital. He said Blakeney is a drug recognition expert, certified through the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and the National Department of Highway Safety and “recognized signs associated with individuals under the influence of drugs.”

Bucknam said this week that he has handled the complaint against his officer but that details of how it was handled are confidential and protected from the public because it is a personnel matter.

Bucknam said in June that police officers are first responders, not emergency medical technicians, and that the symptoms displayed by Noah Goodridge “were not conducive to what an average person would consider seizure.”

Paul Goodridge said that is the problem, that police officers are not trained to recognize epileptic seizures. He said he wants additional training for law enforcement officers and wants Blakeney “to be reprimanded and be held accountable for his actions in the wrongful arrest of my son, Noah.”

In his affidavit in support of probable cause for Noah Goodridge’s arrest, Blakeney wrote that he responded to a report of a medical emergency at the NAPA store at 4:19 p.m. June 12 and found Goodridge standing against a truck in the parking lot. He said the young man did not acknowledge his questions appropriately and “appeared to be under the influence of something.”

Blakeney said that when Goodridge attempted to walk past him, he positioned himself in front of him, so he was unable to walk past.

The officer wrote that Goodridge “reached out and grabbed me on top of my shoulders.” Blakeney said he pushed Goodridge’s hands away and told him not to touch him again.

Blakeney wrote that Goodridge grabbed him again by the shoulders, whereupon Blakeney used a police academy “arm bar” technique to bring him to the ground, where he was handcuffed.

Paul Goodridge said he wants to get a lawyer on the assault charge and to press charges against Blakeney. He said there is body camera footage from the police officer that shows what really happened.

“I just filled out the paperwork for a court-appointed lawyer, but I’m getting ready to talk to (a lawyer) right now … in Portland,” he said. ” … I should get a lawyer from out of town because it’s a conflict of interest — to try to go after the Police Department that these lawyers live in town with. I don’t trust them here because of the fact that they live here, they work with the Police Department, they work with the jailhouse.”

Noah Goodridge told the judge that he understood the charge against him. There is a risk of going to jail if he is convicted, the court clerk told the judge.

A dispositional hearing in the case is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 21 in Skowhegan. A trial date would be scheduled for February if the case goes that far.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

IN CAMBRIDGE, Tuesday at 12:31 p.m., mischief was reported on Andrew Ham Road.

IN CLINTON, Tuesday at 6:37 p.m., theft was reported on Main Street.

7:54 p.m., fraud or forgery was reported on Church Street.

8:16 p.m., threatening was reported on Morrison Avenue.

8:26 p.m., a fire was reported on Holt Road.

IN FAIRFIELD, Tuesday at 9:34 a.m., trespassing was reported on Damascus Road.

12:44 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Gordon Place.

1:22 p.m., disturbance was reported on Norridgewock Road.

4:03 p.m., a harassment complaint was reported on Serenity Circle.

8:58 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Preble Street.

Wednesday at 1:35 a.m., an intoxicated person was reported on Montcalm Street.

IN FARMINGTON, Tuesday at 2:43 p.m., trespassing was reported on Maguire Street.

2:45 p.m., trespassing was reported on Maguire Street.

4:06 p.m., vandalism or criminal mischief was reported on High Street.

8:30 p.m., an unwanted person was reported on Academy Street.

IN JAY, Tuesday at 12:31 p.m., trespassing was reported on Bridge Street.

3:05 p.m., threatening was reported on Intervale Road.

4:15 p.m., theft was reported on Main Street.

IN MADISON, Tuesday at 2:29 p.m., an arrest was made on East Madison Road.

4:39 p.m., trespassing was reported on Main Street.

7:36 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Shusta Road.

IN OAKLAND, Tuesday at 11:57 a.m., criminal mischief was reported at Brickett Point Estates.

8:02 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Main Street.

8:17 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

IN RIPLEY, Tuesday at 9:20 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Main Street.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Tuesday at 9:12 a.m., hazardous materials were reported on Madison Avenue.

9:17 a.m., a motor vehicle burglary was reported on Water Street.

9:39 a.m., a harassment complaint was reported on South Factory Street.

11:18 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Madison Avenue.

1:58 p.m., theft was reported on Waterville Road.

4:24 p.m., a vehicle fire was reported on North Avenue.

6:03 p.m., disturbance was reported on Waterville Road.

8:53 p.m., downed wires were reported on Beech Street.

IN ST. ALBANS, Tuesday at 5:05 p.m., theft was reported on Main Street.

IN STRONG, Tuesday at 3:28 p.m., juvenile offenses were reported on Pond Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Tuesday at 7:14 a.m., an unwanted person was reported on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

8:30 a.m., burglary of a motor vehicle was reported on North Street.

8:43 a.m., fire was reported on Main Street.

10:03 a.m., a drug offense was reported on Drummond Avenue.

10:06 a.m., an unwanted person was reported on Main Street.

12:51 p.m., theft was reported on Water Street.

2:26 p.m., criminal mischief was reported on Main Street.

2:33 p.m., theft was reported on King Street.

3:44 p.m., criminal mischief was reported on Water Street.

3:48 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

5:25 p.m., an intoxicated person was reported on Water Street.

7:20 p.m., harassment was reported on Main Street.

8:04 p.m., a noise complaint was reported on Silver Street.

8:09 p.m., harassment was reported on Elm Street.

8:26 p.m., a traffic stop led to an arrest on Elm Street.

9:39 p.m., suspicious activity was reported in The Concourse.

10:54 p.m., disturbance was reported on Redington Street.

Wednesday at 1 a.m., threatening was reported on Elm Street.

1:38 a.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Park Street.

IN WINSLOW, Tuesday at 8:13 a.m., theft was reported on Millennium Drive.

Wednesday at 3:34 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Bay Street.

ARREST

IN WATERVILLE, Tuesday at 8:38 p.m., Mark Harris, 44, of Skowhegan, was arrested on charges of operating after habitual offender revocation, with a prior conviction, and being a fugitive from justice.

FARMINGTON — Police are using a new tactic to try and make motor vehicle drivers and the public aware of the dangers of distracted driving.

Drivers whose vehicles were driving by or stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection of Main Street, Farmington Falls Road and the Park and Ride on Tuesday morning probably did not know they were being watched from above.

Farmington police Sgt. Edward Hastings IV sat in the cab of a parked camouflage-colored Freightliner tractor looking down at vehicles to see if drivers were violating the state’s distracted driving laws.

If he saw a driver in violation of the law, which includes texting, scrolling through Facebook or emails, or using a handheld device and being distracted, while in the vehicle on the public way, he alerted an officer in a nearby cruiser.

That officer then went after the offending motorist. The driver would be given either a warning or a ticket, police Chief Jack Peck said Wednesday.

“We are trying to get more voluntary compliance with the distracted driving laws and trying to make the public aware of the dangers of distracted driving,” he said.

It was the first distracted driving detail using the multi-wheeled tractor cab the department acquired through the federal Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office. The truck didn’t cost anything, Peck said. The only cost was police driving to New Jersey and driving it back to Farmington.

The distracted driving details are funded by a grant from the Maine Bureau of Public Safety, Peck said.

In the four-hour detail on Tuesday, there were 10 violations, he said.

There will be other distracted driving enforcement details, not scheduled as of Wednesday.

Hastings was the lead officer in the distracted driving detail on Main Street. He is also the Law Enforcement Support Office coordinator for the department.

Eventually, when the town gets the money, the tractor used for the detail will be converted into a dump truck with a plow. It will be used for plowing and distracted driving details.

A second truck acquired through the military surplus program already has been converted into a dump truck and painted to match Farmington Public Works Department’s fleet. Farmington selectmen approved Peck’s proposal in February to spend $65,000 from the Public Works Equipment Reserve Account to convert a Freightliner 10-wheeler into a plow truck.

Under the state’s distracted driving laws, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while engaged in an activity:

• That is not necessary to the operation of the vehicle.

• That actually impairs or would reasonably be expected to impair the ability of the person to safely operate the vehicle.

It is also illegal for a person who has not attained 18 years of age to operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile telephone or hand-held electronic device. This means that a driver of a motor vehicle who is under 18 cannot manipulate, talk into or interact with a mobile telephone or handheld electronic device, according to the state Bureau of Highway Safety.

The state describes the definition of “operate” as driving a motor vehicle on a public way with the motor running, including while temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic light or a stop sign or otherwise stationary. “Operate” does not include driving a motor vehicle with or without the motor running when the operator has pulled the motor vehicle over to the side of, or off, a public way and has halted in a location where the motor vehicle can safely remain stationary, according to the state website.

The Maine supreme court has upheld a Skowhegan teenager’s commitment to a youth detention center in South Portland, but the court’s chief justice issued a scathing opinion calling the lack of sentencing options in the state’s youth justice system a tragedy.

The juvenile, referred to in court records as J.R., will remain held at Long Creek Youth Development Center until his 18th birthday in March, according to the court’s opinion issued Tuesday.

Chief Justice Leigh Saufley authored a side opinion, supported by two other justices, criticizing the fact that courts had only two options for addressing J.R.’s criminal behavior – probation or incarceration.

Saufley acknowledged that the youth’s behavior was “spiraling out of control” and that he was likely to commit more serious crimes, “possibly harming other members of the public and certainly harming his own potential.”

“Nonetheless, the fact that the court was left with two stark alternatives – probation, which would almost certainly fail, or incarceration, which has its own substantial negative repercussions – is a tragedy,” Saufley wrote. “While the lack of alternatives available today may not be directly contrary to the strictures of Maine law or the Constitutions, we can and must do better for Maine’s youth.

“The lack of alternatives available to the court, to the youth and to his family, and to the attorneys attempting to carry out the Legislature’s mandate for rehabilitation of a youth who is out of control, is both shortsighted and fraught with potential long-term consequences,” she added.

Saufley said the state must find alternatives, which could include behavioral modification programs, residential treatment facilities, enhanced mental health treatment services and group homes with structure and oversight.

According to court records, the crimes J.R. committed were mostly property related, including taking possession of a stolen scooter and stealing marijuana and money from his brother, but he also destroyed windows, doors and surveillance cameras at a local public school, causing more than $2,000 in damage.

Between November 2016 and June 2017, J.R. rejected counseling and missed scheduled court dates.

J.R. admitted to criminal mischief and theft charges. The District Court in Skowhegan sentenced him to Long Creek for a period not to exceed his 18th birthday.

He began serving his sentence in October 2017 when he was 16.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court said in its decision that while the courts try to focus on the rehabilitation of juveniles and to keep them as close to their families as possible, “J.R. asserts that commitment to Long Creek is not rehabilitative, but punitive.”

J.R. was represented in the Law Court proceedings by Portland-based defense attorney Tina Heather Nadeau.

“Long Creek is not a good place for children to be,” Nadeau said in an interview Wednesday. Her client is now 17. “He is not doing well there.”

She declined to elaborate on what she meant, citing client confidentiality.

“Given the crimes he admitted to, he was not a threat to public safety,” Nadeau added.

Nadeau said she is worried about J.R.’s mental and emotional health.

“You can’t forget that he is being held with kids who have committed murder,” she said. “He doesn’t have a violent bone in his body.”

Nadeau said she was disappointed with the Law Court’s ruling she is encouraged by Saufley’s opinion, which was supported by Associate Justices Ellen Gorman and Joseph Jabar.

“I’m encouraged that the Law Court and youth incarceration is now on the radar of the judiciary,” Nadeau said. “Getting the ear of the chief justice of the Maine Supreme Court is no small feat.”

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

IN ANSON, Wednesday at 11:57 a.m., breaking and entering was investigated on Valley Road.

4:52 p.m., a scam complaint was taken on New Portland Road.

IN CANAAN, Wednesday at 10:42 p.m., a theft was investigated on East Street.

IN CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Wednesday at 7:56 p.m., a noise complaint was taken on Campbell Field.

IN CHINA, Thursday at 1:32 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Route 3.

IN CLINTON, Wednesday at 7:20 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Pleasant Street.

IN CORNVILLE, Wednesday at 6:19 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Spurwink Lane.

7:41 p.m., a theft was reported on East Ridge Road.

9:44 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Molunkus Road.

IN DETROIT, Wednesday at 11:29 a.m., a scam complaint was investigated on Main Street.

3:39 p.m., an arrest was made after a vehicle complaint on North Road.

IN FAIRFIELD, Wednesday at 11:37 a.m., trespassing was reported on Martin Stream Road.

5:41 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Main Street.

8:11 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Kennebec Street.

8:17 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Pirate Lane.

IN FARMINGTON, Wednesday at 2:59 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Wilton Road.

3:04 p.m., a traffic accident involving injuries was reported on Main Street.

4:29 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Farmington Falls Road.

5:20 p.m., a report of a missing person was taken on Belcher Road.

6:53 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Oakes Street.

6:45 p.m., a theft was reported on Moore Avenue.

9:38 p.m., an assault was reported on Main Street.

9:40 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Main Street.

11:02 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Wilton Road.

11:26 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Perham Street.

IN HARMONY, Wednesday at 9:58 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on South Road.

IN HARTLAND, Thursday at 8:27 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Blake Street.

IN JAY, Wednesday at 10:45 p.m., an assault was reported on Old Jay Hill Road.

12:36 p.m., a disturbance was reported on BJ’s Lane.

5:07 p.m., a traffic accident involving injuries was reported on Franklin Road.

8:37 p.m., a traffic accident involving injuries was reported on Old Jay Hill Road.

Thursday at 6:02 a.m., trespassing was reported on Church Street.

IN KINGFIELD, Wednesday at 2:05 p.m., a fire and smoke investigation was conducted on High Street.

IN MADISON, Wednesday at 12:49 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Main Street.

5:02 p.m., a burglary of a motor vehicle was reported on Oak Street.

6:30 p.m., a civil complaint was taken on Lakewood Road.

8:18 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Preble Avenue.

8:32 p.m., a civil complaint was taken on River Road.

IN MERCER, Wednesday at 4:45 p.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on West Sandy River Road.

IN MOSCOW, Wednesday at 12:27 p.m., a scam complaint was investigated on Stream Road.

IN NEW PORTLAND, Wednesday at 8:32 p.m., a civil complaint was taken on Long Falls Dam Road.

IN NEW SHARON, Wednesday at 3:21 p.m., a fire and smoke investigation was conducted on Farmington Falls Road.

IN NORRIDGEWOCK, Wednesday at 10:01 a.m., littering was reported on Upper Main Street.

6:54 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Frederick Corner Road.

IN OAKLAND, Wednesday at 6:33 a.m., a theft was reported on Pleasant Street.

7:18 a.m., threatening was reported on Water Street.

6:10 p.m., criminal trespassing was investigated on Sawtelle Road.

IN PALMYRA, Wednesday at 4:22 p.m., an arrest was made following suspicious activity on Main Street.

IN PITTSFIELD, Wednesday at 1:59 p.m., threatening was investigated on Somerset Avenue.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Wednesday at 9:07 a.m., a disturbance was investigated on Dinsmore Street.

10:12 a.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Grant Lane.

10:28 a.m., a civil complaint was investigated on Lexie Lane.

11:47 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Canaan Road.

3:26 p.m., a warning was issued after a report of disorderly conduct.

4:49 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Fairgrounds Market Place.

6:55 p.m., a theft was reported on South Street.

7:59 p.m., trespassing was reported on Oak Street.

10:19 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Waterville Road.

Thursday at 2:10 a.m., an arrest was made after a disturbance on Milburn Street.

IN SOLON, Wednesday at 6:20 p.m., a harassment complaint was taken on North Main Street.

IN ST. ALBANS, Wednesday at 12:10 p.m., a theft was investigated on Ripley Road.

8:14 p.m., a vehicle theft was reported on Dexter Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Wednesday at 9:38 a.m., a disturbance was investigated on Carey Lane.

9:49 p.m., a harassment complaint was taken on Silver Street.

10:07 a.m., an accident involving an injury was reported on Interstate 95.

10:35 a.m., an assault was reported on Front Place.

11:04 a.m., criminal mischief was investigated on Gilman Street.

11:19 p.m., threatening was investigated on Roosevelt Avenue.

12:16 p.m., threatening was reported on Chaplin Street.

1 p.m., juvenile offenses were reported on Wilson Street.

1:24 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on JFK Plaza.

3:24 p.m., a theft was investigated on Silver Street.

3:27 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Waterville Commons Drive.

4:40 p.m., a theft was investigated on Ash Street.

4:46 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on West River Road.

5:22 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

6:02 p.m., an assault was reported on Water Street.

7:43 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Chase Avenue.

9:02 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on College Avenue.

10:06 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Poolers Park Way.

11:30 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported at Walmart on Waterville Commons Drive.

IN WELD, Wednesday at 1:38 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Hardy Road.

IN WILTON, Wednesday at 8:46 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Prospect Street.

IN WINSLOW, Wednesday at 11:39 a.m., a civil complaint was taken on Clinton Avenue.

10:46 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Bolduc Avenue.

ARRESTS

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Wednesday at 9:40 a.m., Jake Hasseltine, 27, of Old Town, was arrested on a charge of probation revocation.

2:50 p.m., Reynold J. Thibodeau, 31, of Skowhegan, was arrested on three warrants for failure to appear.

5:03 p.m., Amanda K. Fornet, 29, of Skowhegan, was arrested on a charge of operating after suspension.

5:48 p.m., Rachel St. Michael, 20, of Pittsfield, was arrested on charges of operating under the influence, unlawful possession of a scheduled drug and being a minor in possession of liquor.

Thursday at 4:08 a.m., Stephanie A. Freeman, 29, of Skowhegan, was arrested on charges of misuse of 911 system and violating condition of release.

IN WATERVILLE, Wednesday at 8:11 p.m., Allen P. Nutt, 36, of Waterville, was arrested on a warrant.

Thursday at 12:03 a.m., Ryan T. Dyer, 32, of Waterville, was arrested on a warrant.

IN WINSLOW, Wednesday at 1:41 p.m., Michael D. Stewart Jr., 19, of Winslow, was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and two counts of domestic violence assault.

Thursday at 12:15 a.m., Roland J. Peters, 61, of Winslow, was arrested on charges of operating vehicle without a license and operating under the influence with two prior convictions.

IN AUGUSTA, Wednesday at 7:46 a.m., property was recovered on Civic Center Drive.

9:36 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Greenlief Street.

9:57 a.m., property was recovered on Union Street.

10:38 a.m., gross sexual assault was reported by a caller at an unidentified location.

11:50 a.m., theft was reported on Green Street.

1:06 p.m., a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Civic Center Drive.

1:24 p.m., theft was reported on Gray Birch Drive.

1:32 p.m., theft of a motor vehicle was reported on Airport Road.

2:33 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Enterprise Drive.

3:24 p.m., criminal trespassing was reported on Lamson Road.

3:56 p.m., a well-being check was done on Civic Center Drive.

4:13 p.m., a dog bite was reported on Spring Road.

4:43 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on North Street.

4:51 p.m., harassment was reported on Whitten Road.

5:28 p.m., a well-being check was done on Mount Vernon Avenue and Bond Brook Road.

5:30 p.m., theft was reported on Civic Center Drive.

5:43 p.m., shoplifting was reported on Cony Street.

6:33 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Eastern Avenue.

6:34 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Howard Street.

6:44 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Union Street.

7:30 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Mayflower Road.

9:40 p.m., terrorizing was reported on Washington Street.

9:55 p.m., a traffic accident causing injury was reported on Arsenal and Spruce streets.

10:28 p.m., theft was reported on Northern Avenue.

Thursday at 4:20 a.m. criminal mischief was reported on Pleasant Street.

IN CHELSEA, Wednesday at 8:22 a.m., trespassing was reported on River Road.

IN WINTHROP, Wednesday at 7:46 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Main Street.

8:30 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Main Street.

8:36 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Greenwood Avenue.

ARRESTS

IN AUGUSTA, Wednesday at 5:55 a.m., Michael Smith, 40, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant and a charge of operating while license was suspended or revoked, during a traffic stop on North Belfast Avenue.

Thursday at 1:38 a.m., Sarah D. Costa, 38, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant, after a disturbance was reported on Bangor Street.

SUMMONS

IN AUGUSTA, Wednesday at 7 p.m., a 22-year-old man from Franconia, New Hampshire was summoned on a charge of operating while license was suspended or revoked, during a traffic stop on Cony Street.

GARDINER — The Massachusetts woman found dead in Gardiner last week is remembered as “a precious daughter and a devoted sister.”

Maddilyn Burgess, 28, was found dead Aug. 9 during a traffic stop on Timberwood Drive. Also during the traffic stop, Gyrth Rutan, 34, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, shot himself in the head with a shotgun in front of state police officers.

“The trooper reported that Rutan got out of his car armed with a shotgun and turned the gun on himself,” McCausland said in a release that week.

Worcester County District Attorney spokeswoman Lindsay Corcoran said late Friday that Burgess’ death is being investigated as a homicide, but she had no further details about her relationship to Rutan or a motive for the killing.

Contacted again Thursday, Corcoran said no further information was available about the ongoing investigation.

The office of the state chief medical examiner said Thursday that the results of autopsies on Burgess’ and Rutan’s bodies could not be released because the investigation is ongoing.

“Once the case file is complete (in about two to four weeks), we will address any investigative and privacy concerns before releasing any information,” Office Administrator Mark Belserene said in a statement. “If either concern is relevant, we will provide you with the available public information.”

According to an obituary published by Paridis-Givner Funeral Home in Massachusetts, Burgess graduated from Medfield High School in 2008. She later received an associate degree in medical assisting at Salter College.

“… she was often a source of encouragement to others with her sweet, genuine soul and infectious smile that lit up an entire room,” the obituary reads. “She would want to be remembered for the beautiful person that she was, and have her life celebrated without guilt, remorse or anger.”

Attempts to reach Burgess’ family and friends were unsuccessful by Thursday afternoon.

A fund in Burgess’ memory, which will support Central Massachusetts YWCA’s Daybreak shelter for woman affected by domestic violence, is set up at Hometown Bank in Oxford, Massachusetts.

Sam Shepherd — 621-5666

sshepherd@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @SamShepME

SKOWHEGAN — The young Skowhegan mother of three who went to jail last year after police found her lying unconscious next to a naked 2-year-old in an apartment filthy with cat feces, vomit, empty prescription bottles and beer cans was back in jail Thursday.

Stephanie Freeman, 29, was arrested and taken to the Somerset County Jail early Thursday morning on charges that she misused the emergency 911 system and violated the conditions of her release on previous charges.

In fact, said Skowhegan police Chief David Bucknam, Freeman has been arrested or issued summonses to appear in court on criminal charges 16 times in the past two years in Skowhegan and elsewhere in Somerset County.

Bucknam said the most recent arrest, Thursday morning, came after 911 hang-up calls that began Wednesday night. The calls were repeated until police could track the number and the phone that was used and make the arrest.

“I think she needs to reach out to some of her family members and try to seek some family support and get some assistance,” Bucknam said. “I do know that she may want to seek some assistance with alcohol and try to get some help there. The interaction that my officers had last night with her, she was apparently intoxicated again.”

Bucknam said Freeman was warned not to misuse 911 about 2:10 a.m. Thursday after the third hang-up call. The fourth one, allegedly placed two minutes later, at 2:12 a.m., was the one that got her arrested.

A 41-year-old man whom police interviewed said there was no emergency and that the calls had been made by accident, Bucknam said.

The first 911 call was received at 8:38 p.m. Wednesday. A second call came in at 8:44 p.m., which police were able to map and trace to a 40-year-old man’s cellphone number on Milburn Street.

Skowhegan police Sgt. Brian Gardiner and Office Ryan Blakeney made contact with the phone’s owner, who said he hadn’t made any calls.

“The (officers) asked Stephanie if she had called 911, and she laughed at them and said ‘No’ and got up and staggered into the house,” Bucknam said. “Apparently she thinks it’s a joke. I believe she was under the influence of some type of intoxicants, according to the probable cause affidavit.”

Freeman was booked at the county jail in East Madison and released later on $160 cash bail, according to the jail administrator.

Bucknam said police take all 911 calls seriously and don’t necessarily want to punish people who call 911 for the wrong reasons. Instead, he said, it’s all about intent; and when education and warnings do not stop, then more direct action is required.

“Dialing 911 without an emergency uses valuable resources from both the Police Department as well as dispatch as both agencies are trying to locate the source of an emergency and provide whatever services are needed,” he said.

The incident was not the first time Gardiner had interaction with Freeman.

According to another court document by Gardiner in 2017, he had gone to the apartment twice before, once responding to “repeated 911 hangup calls” after Freeman said she had let a stranger into her apartment and was afraid. The second time was late on the night of July 31 or early Aug. 1, 2017, when Gardiner wrote that he and another officer banged loudly and repeatedly on Freeman’s door but got no response. Loud music was blasting from the apartment, he wrote.

The door was dead-bolted shut, so the officers got a ladder and looked through the apartment window and saw “a small infant with no clothes on and an adult female in the fetal position” lying on the floor. A neighbor told Gardiner that Freeman had been “drinking every day.”

The officers climbed through the window and tried to wake Freeman.

“There was raw spaghetti all over the kitchen floor along with Comet that was strewn about,” Gardiner wrote in the affidavit. He also saw cat feces, human vomit and spilled beer on the floor.

“Stephanie admitted to drinking tonight,” he wrote. “It was clear that Stephanie was unable to care for her child, and the living conditions were atrocious. Uncapped pill bottles were about the residence.”

“The infant child woke, but they were unable to keep the female awake due to her level of intoxication,” Bucknam said at the time. “DHHS and medical units were called to the scene to assist.”

Once inside the apartment, the officers also noticed that there was no electrical power in the unit and that someone had used an extension cord from a neighboring apartment to play a radio. In the refrigerator the officers found a half-empty 30-pack of beer and an old pack of cheese, but no other food.

Freeman had been arrested in early July 2017 for failure to appear on another charge. She was arrested again in September on the same charge and for writing a bad check in August.

A probation revocation form was put into Freeman’s file Oct. 16, 2017, by a community corrections officer on three counts of new criminal conduct. The corrections officer cited the new criminal charges in the revocation form as refusing to sign an issued summons, refusing to submit to arrest and running from police and testing positive for cannabis and Suboxone, according to court documents.

The arrests all occurred in October while Freeman was on probation. The conditions of her release included abstaining from illegal drugs or alcohol.

Freeman was arrested in November 2017 on a charge of failure to appear in court. She also was charged on a bail revocation and on a warrant charging unsworn falsification, meaning that she allegedly made a written false statement knowing that the statement was not true.

She originally was sentenced to 180 days in jail on the charge of endangering the welfare of a child for the July 31, 2017, incident, with all but seven days suspended and one year of probation; but after violating the conditions of release, she was given 180 days straight time with none of it suspended.

Maeghan Maloney, district attorney for Somerset and Kennebec counties, said she has been dealing with Freeman for too long.

“It is very sad,” Maloney said in an email to the Morning Sentinel. “We have and will continue to offer help, but we cannot force a person to accept help. If a person wants to plead guilty and take a fine or jail sentence rather than restorative justice, that is the person’s choice.

“When people are ready to choose the hard work of recovery, we are ready to give the support.”

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

JAY — A three-vehicle collision Wednesday afternoon at routes 133 and 156 sent a Farmington teenager to the hospital with minor injuries, Sgt. Russell Adams said Thursday morning.

Norman Lewis Jr., 34, of Chesterville, was traveling west on Route 156 toward Wilton when he failed to stop at a stop sign, Adams said. Lewis’ car struck one driven by Adelle Foss, 17, of Farmington, which was heading south on Route 133 toward Livermore Falls, Adams said.

Foss’ car spun into the path of a pickup truck driven by Sean Moore, 24, of Jay, which was heading north on Route 133 toward Farmington, the officer said.

Foss suffered minor injuries and was taken by a NorthStar EMS ambulance to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, Adams said.

He said he wrote Lewis a summons charging failure to stop at a stop sign.

The Wilton Police Department and the Jay Fire Rescue Department assisted Adams at the scene of the accident, which was reported at 5:07 p.m.

The 2013 Hyundai driven by Lewis was damaged but driven away, Adams said.

Foss’ 2012 Toyota was a total loss, Adams said, and Moore’s Ford 2010 truck was damaged heavily. Both were towed from the scene.

Central Maine Community College beefed up its security and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office fielded numerous phone calls after the Bowdoinham man who allegedly threatened to “shoot up” the school was released from jail this week after paying only $60 bail.

Darren Lilly, 23, was arrested at his home on Feldspar Lane on Monday and sheriff’s deputies seized a mix of handguns, rifles and shotguns from his house, and two firearms from a car, the department said. He was charged with terrorizing with a dangerous weapon, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Lilly was granted $1,000 unsecured bond, meaning he only has to pay that amount if he doesn’t show up in court. On Monday, he paid $60 to secure his release. Conditions of his release forbid Lilly from possessing firearms or entering the city of Auburn, where the college is located.

The sheriff’s office said that people who know Lilly told deputies that he threatened to “shoot up” the college and that he had numerous firearms. A sawed-off shotgun and a gun in a violin case were among the weapons deputies seized.

CMCC President Scott Knapp said Tuesday that he was concerned that Lilly, who had been accepted as a student at the college last fall, was not in police custody. Knapp said the Auburn Police Department was providing an additional police presence on the campus at the college’s expense.

Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said his office has fielded questions about the bail amount, which he said is set by the bail commissioner based on several criteria, including whether the person has a prior criminal record, is facing unrelated charges in other cases and whether he is considered a flight risk.

Even though a background check showed that Lilly did not have a prior criminal history in Maine, Merry said the bail amount gave him pause.

Darren Lilly

“I was a little bit taken aback myself when I saw what would be, in my opinion, considered a very low bail given the seriousness of the alleged offense and the circumstances surrounding it,” he said. “Particularly because the individual had demonstrated the capacity to potentially execute the threat that he had made. And we’ll never know if it was just boastful talking or if he actually did have a plan to do something very terrible.”

Merry said words have consequences, and in this case Lilly allegedly made some statements that caused alarm – enough so that his acquaintances alerted the sheriff’s department. Deputies found Lilly had the means to carry out the threat.

“You add all that together, and you’ve got some reason for concern,” he said.

However, Merry noted that the primary function of bail is to ensure that an individual will show up in court on a certain date to answer charges. While there are some rigid guidelines on certain offenses, bail commissioners do have broad discretion and the bail process can be highly subjective, Merry said.

“But bail can be used to protect the public,” he said. “We see it all the time, particularly in cases of domestic violence. There have been changes in bail code over the years for that purpose – to protect the victim.”

The bail will likely be reviewed by the judge at Lilly’s arraignment.

“I know he’s being closely monitored,” Merry said. “We intend to keep a very close eye on Mr. Lilly while he’s out, until this case is resolved.”

Efforts to contact Lilly for comment were unsuccessful, and it was unclear as of Thursday whether he has an attorney.

Hunter Brooks of Brunswick, who knew Lilly when they were students at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham, was shocked when he learned of Lilly’s arrest.

“I don’t really see him doing that, so I don’t know what set him off,” Brooks said.

Lilly was never a violent person, Brooks said, and would give the shirt off his back to anyone.

“Through school, he would never even get into a fight,” he said. “He would always walk away.”

Lilly is scheduled to appear in West Bath District Court on Sept. 11.

Darcie Moore can be contacted at:

dmoore@timesrecord.com

IN AUGUSTA, Thursday at 8:16 a.m., suspicious activity was reported at the intersection of North Belfast Avenue and Cross Hill Road.

11:28 a.m., suspicious activity was reported at the intersection of Bond and Water streets.

1:12 p.m., criminal threatening was reported on West River Road.

2:38 p.m., suspicious activity was reported at the intersection of Cony Circle and Memorial Bridge.

2:39 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Green Street.

4:50 p.m., harassment was reported on Page Street.

5:43 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Brooks Street.

6:12 p.m., criminal trespass was reported on Water Street.

6:14 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Stephen King Drive.

6:32 p.m., harassment was reported on Middle Street.

7:16 p.m., criminal mischief was reported at the intersection of Arsenal Street and Learners Drive.

7:22 p.m., an abandoned motor vehicle was reported on Western Avenue.

7:33 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Western Avenue.

Friday at 2:26 p.m., theft of a motor vehicle was reported on Mud Mill Road.

4:08 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Medical Center Parkway.

4:10 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Shovelhead Lane.

IN GARDINER, Thursday at 9:40 p.m., a suspicious incident was reported on Central Street.

IN MONMOUTH, Thursday at 2:24 p.m., harassment was reported on Wilson Pond Road.

IN WINTHROP, Thursday at 5:16 p.m., criminal mischief was reported on High Street.

5:42 p.m., fraud was reported on Green Street.

ARRESTS

IN AUGUSTA, Thursday at 6:23 p.m., Stacy M. Haskell, 37, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant and Isaiah Q. Butler, 22, of Augusta, was arrested on charges of violating a condition of release, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, and violation of probation, on North Belfast Avenue.

11:39 p.m., Drew E. Bolduc, 62, of Augusta, was arrested and charged with operating under the influence at the intersection of Cony Road and South Belfast Avenue.

SUMMONSES

IN AUGUSTA, Thursday at 3:01 p.m., Andrea K. Veilleux, 34, of Augusta, was issued a summons on a charge of operating while license suspended or revoked at the intersection of Laurel and Water streets.

3:49 p.m., George McKenney, 84, of Pittston, was issued a summons on a charge of operating while license suspended or revoked at the intersection of State and Union streets.

IN ANSON, Thursday at 5:56 p.m., a domestic disturbance was investigated on Wilson Street.

IN BINGHAM, Thursday at 3:11 p.m., a domestic disturbance was investigated on Main Street.

IN CANAAN, Friday at 7:41 a.m., a domestic disturbance was investigated on Mud Run.

IN CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Thursday at 10:51 p.m., a noise complaint was taken on Grand Summit Lane.

IN CHESTERVILLE, Thursday at 9:02 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Dutch Gap Road.

Friday at 4:37 a.m., a vehicle accident involving injuries was reported on Borough and Brunswick roads.

IN FARMINGTON, Thursday at 2:30 p.m., a harassment complaint was taken at the University of Maine at Farmington

Friday at 12:51 a.m., vandalism was reported on Broadway.

12:51 a.m., trespassing was reported on Maguire Street.

IN JACKMAN, Friday at 6:27 a.m., mischief was reported on Main Street.

IN JAY, Thursday at 6:02 a.m., trespassing was reported on Church Street.

12:03 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Jay Plaza.

8:13 p.m., trespassing was reported on Church Street.

IN MADISON, Thursday at 11:35 a.m., a theft was investigated on Pleasant Street.

4:41 p.m., vandalism was investigated on Weston Avenue.

10:14 p.m., a theft was investigated on Main Street.

IN NORRIDGEWOCK, Thursday at 2:17 p.m., a scam complaint was investigated on Oak Hill Road.

8:30 p.m., suspicious activity was taken on Mechanic Street.

IN OAKLAND, Thursday at 7:49 a.m., a verbal warning was issued following a domestic dispute at Double Eagle Properties on Oak Street.

1:25 p.m., an Oak Street caller reported an individual had run away.

8:12 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Fairfield Street.

IN PALMYRA, Thursday at 6:40 p.m., a civil complaint was taken on Welch Road.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Thursday at 10:44 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Fairgrounds Market Place.

11:21 a.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Pine Street.

12:07 p.m., a scam complaint was taken on Dinsmore Street.

3:53 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Constitution Avenue.

6:26 p.m., a civil complaint was taken on Winter Street.

6:34 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Martin Stream Road.

7:21 p.m., a civil complaint was investigated on Robin Court.

9:21 p.m., a noise complaint was taken on Pooler Avenue.

9:31 p.m., an intoxicated person was reported on North Avenue.

IN SOLON, Friday at 1:06 a.m., gunshots were reported on Ferry Street.

IN STRONG, Friday at 3:56 a.m., a burglary was reported on Lambert Hill.

IN WATERVILLE, Thursday at 7:14 a.m., a verbal warning was issued following an assault on Elm Street.

7:21 a.m., a burglary of a vehicle was reported on Central Avenue.

7:40 a.m., a burglary of a vehicle was reported on Oak Street.

9:01 a.m., a theft was investigated on Central Avenue.

9:21 a.m., suspicious activity was reported at CVS Pharmacy on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

9:32 a.m., sex offenses were investigated on Edgewood Street.

10:44 a.m., a drug offense was investigated on Front and Common streets.

10:47 a.m., a theft was reported at Mount Saint Joseph on Highwood Street.

11:05 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Colby Street.

11:25 a.m., a vehicle burglary was investigated on Central Avenue.

11:30 a.m., a vehicle burglary was investigated on Central Avenue.

11:46 a.m., a report of fraud or forgery was investigated on Industrial Road.

12:08 p.m., criminal trespassing was investigated on Elm Street.

12:34 p.m., a report of fraud or forgery as reported on Spring Street.

1:45 p.m., a theft was investigated on College Avenue.

2:17 p.m., suspicious activity was reported at Mobil Mart on Pleasant Street.

2:39 p.m., a domestic dispute was investigated on College Avenue.

2:51 p.m., a theft was investigated on Wilson Street.

6:50 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

7:24 p.m., suspicious activity was investigated on The Concourse.

7:29 p.m., criminal mischief was investigated on Center Street.

8:17 p.m., an individual was taken to the hospital following a domestic dispute on Gold Street.

8:20 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Winter Street.

8:38 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Silver Street.

9:04 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Water Street.

Friday at 12:27 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on College Avenue.

12:28 a.m., suspicious activity was investigated on Central Avenue.

3:19 a.m., a report of a missing person was taken on Mae Terrace.

IN WILTON, Thursday at 3:49 p.m., a theft was reported on High Street.

IN WINSLOW, Thursday at 7:27 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Joe Avenue.

10:21 a.m., a theft was reported on South Garand Street.

3:47 p.m., a report of fraud or forgery was investigated on Monument Street.

Friday at 1 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Cushman Road.

1 a.m., threatening was reported on Colby Street.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Thursday at 1:08 a.m., Luis Sanabria, 24, of Lehigh Acres, Florida, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

11:42 a.m., Stacy C. Theriault, 34, of Kingfield, was arrested on a charge of failure to register a vehicle.

3:26 p.m., Chad E. Stewart, 36, of Livermore Falls, was arrested on a warrant.

IN OAKLAND, Thursday at 9:34 p.m., Jeremy P. Winn, 34, of Waterville, was arrested on a charge of domestic violence assault.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Thursday at 1:38 p.m., Charles R. Bellows, 37, of Oakland, was arrested on a probation hold.

Friday at 12:34 a.m., Tracy L. Kervin, 47, of Winslow, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence with a prior conviction.

IN WATERVILLE, Thursday at 3:58 p.m., Tyquawn E. Lane, 25, of Oakland, was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle without a license and violating condition of release.

11:23 p.m., Timothy A. Baker, 23, of Waterville, was arrested on a probation hold and a charge of violating condition of release.

IN WINSLOW, Friday at 1:44 a.m., Nathan A. Spaulding, 28, of Waterville, was arrested on a warrant and charges of violating condition of release and unlawful possession of scheduled drug.

SUMMONSES

IN WATERVILLE, Thursday at 9:27 p.m., Celeste Tompkins, 46, of Waterville, was issued a summons on a charge of operating while license suspended or revoked.

11:03 a.m., Madison P. Holley, 19, of Lewisburg, Tennessee, was issued a summons on a charge of operating vehicle without a license.

IN WINSLOW, Thursday at 7:42 a.m., Samantha L. Martin, 24, of Waterville, was issued a summons on a charge of failure to register a vehicle.

The father of a Bangor man who drowned after falling into a frozen stream while fleeing from police in March has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city’s police department and four of its officers.

According to a complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Gary Manuel alleges that his son, Peter Manuel, 22, had been subjected to a “pattern of harassment” by Bangor police for years.

Peter Manuel drowned after falling into a frozen stream while fleeing from police in March.

“This pattern of harassment culminated on March 2, 2018 at (approximately) 1 a.m. … at or near the Half Acre Nightclub on Harlow Street and at or near Kenduskeag Stream in Bangor, and without probable cause, Bangor police officers … did chase Peter Manuel into the Kenduskeag Stream, at which time Peter Manuel did drown, and all of which resulted in his death,” the complaint says.

The suit lists as defendants the Bangor Police Department and officers Jason McAmbley, Thomas Valente, Elizabeth Brunton and Sam McCarty.

The department had not filed a response as of Friday and a spokesman did not return a call for comment.

Gary Manuel is representing himself in the suit and appeared to draft the complaint as well, which required a $400 filing fee.

According to stories published in the Bangor Daily news, Manuel was involved in a fight in the parking lot of the Harlow Street nightclub early that morning. The previous year, he had been charged with violating a criminal trespass order and was due in court soon to face that charge. When police tried to talk to him, he ran.

Police said he dashed behind a building, jumped a fence and went down an embankment toward the Kenduskeag Stream, which runs north to south through Bangor and merges with the Penobscot River.

Police saw Manuel at the bottom near the water and said they tossed him rescue lines to help him climb up. Manuel, police said, refused their help and instead jumped into the stream.

From there, police could see Manual sitting on a piece of ice in the stream but still he refused to come to shore. He disappeared under the water shortly afterward and didn’t resurface.

Police and fire officials, along with members of Maine Marine Patrol, continued to search for several days.

Manuel’s body wasn’t found until June, by a boater near the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge in Bangor. It took nearly a month for Manuel to be identified by the medical examiner.

According to the Bangor Daily News, Manuel had attended Bangor High School and was a member of the track and cross-country teams.

Peter Manuel lived at the Shaw House, a youth homeless shelter in Bangor, for at least part of his childhood.

Gary Manuel, in the complaint, alleged that his son and the entire Manuel family were mistreated by state and local officials for years because they lived in poverty. The 23-page complaint says that the Manuels were surrounded by “fictitious people, state informants,” who entrapped and coerced their son into criminal behavior. It also alleges that the family was denied state welfare benefits and was directly prohibited from finding and securing housing.

No one answered the phone Friday at the number listed for Gary Manuel in the court documents.

Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:

erussell@pressherald.com

Twitter: PPHEricRussell