Updated: Man Cited for Camping in Undesignated Area in Acadia National Park
Police Logs: Deer's welfare check turns out fine; Porsche catches fire
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Ironbound Restaurant – Inn – Gatherings.
BAR HARBOR—A tent at Compass Harbor led to a citation for overnight camping, Friday morning.
“Park rangers did not arrest the individual, though he had a non-extraditable warrant for his arrest,” said Acadia National Park Public Affairs Officer Amanda Pollock.
Camping in Acadia National Park in undesignated areas is illegal. Previous news reports indicated that prior to COVID-19, in 2017 and 2018, there’d been an average of 115 cases. In 2019 that jumped to 146 and then 198 in 2020. However, numbers dipped a bit in 2021 to 182.
“Since 2022, 111 incidents involving out of bounds camping have occurred in the park. That figure includes both warnings and citations,” Pollock said.
You can not camp overnight or park overnight in the park except in designated areas. The park’s rules and regulations specify that camping can only occur at Blackwoods, Seawall, Schoodic Woods, and Duck Harbor (Isle au Haut) Campgrounds. These all require advance reservations and there is no first-come, first-served system.
Camping outside a designated area has a fine amount set at $75.
BAR HARBOR AND MOUNT DESERT POLICE LOGS
The following incidents occurred in Bar Harbor and Mount Desert last week according to the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department police logs, which is publicly released information.
Monday, May 5, 2025
Officer Caleb Mora took a report of a package that was stolen from outside of a Bar Harbor business.
Mental Health Liaison Melissa Tozier spoke with someone in Trenton regarding a housing crisis.
Sgt. Doug Brundrett served a subpoena from the Hancock County District Attorney’s Office to a woman in Bar Harbor.
A man from Henderson, North Carolina called 911 to report a large pothole in the road on Route 102 near County Road in Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Brundrett was preparing to conduct a well-being check in Bar Harbor when he was informed that the person to be checked on was found to be fine.
While on patrol in the area of Sound Drive in Mount Desert, Officer Ted Cake came upon a truck which was pulling a trailer that was in the roadway because the truck had broken down. Officer T. Cake stood by with his emergency lights on until a tow truck came to remove the vehicle.
MHL Tozier spoke with an individual in Bar Harbor about mental health concerns.
Officer Kaleb Payson assisted another agency with trying to locate someone in Bar Harbor. The person was not located.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
MHL Tozier spoke with someone in Bar Harbor and addressed concerns about public safety.
Someone reported a parking problem in Bar Harbor but Officer T. Cake found the complaint to be unfounded.
Officer T. Cake responded to a reported parking problem in Bar Harbor and put a warning notice on the vehicle.
Officer Elias Burne assisted someone in Bar Harbor by transporting some personal belongings to a new residence.
Sgt. Brundrett performed a taxi inspection in Bar Harbor.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Sgt. Brundrett responded to a parking compliant on High Street in Bar Harbor in which two vehicles were parked on the road and hindering paving of the road. Sgt. Brundrett was able to get the vehicles moved by the owners.
Officer Shelby O’Neil assisted some people with a civil issue in Bar Harbor.
A Bar Harbor real estate agency contacted the police department to make a real estate fraud report.
A resident of Bar Harbor reported multiple parking issues in different areas of town to Officer O’Neil.
Officer Kevin Edgecomb responded to the area of Peabody Drive in Mount Desert for a report of vans parked alongside and partially in the roadway. When Officer Edgecomb arrived, all of the vans were gone.
A Bar Harbor resident reported an attempted fraudulent use of her cellphone number to Sgt. Chris Dickens.
Sgt. Dickens created a directed patrol request for Otter Creek for continuing reports of vehicles speeding through the village.
After receiving a complaint of suspicious activity in Bar Harbor, Officer Nathan Formby was able to contact someone and resolve the issue.
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Officer Zack Kline arrested Craig Hobbs, 65, of Guilford, for alleged operating under the influence in Bar Harbor.
A Mount Desert resident reported to Officer Edgecomb that they either had an Amazon package worth $845 stolen or it was delivered to the wrong location.
Officer Burne responded to a mental health complaint in Mount Desert.
Captain Chris Wharff responded to a complaint regarding a protest occurring in Bar Harbor and found that the protestors on public property and “safely exercising their first amendment right to assemble.”
Captain Wharff noticed a loose dog on Main Street in Bar Harbor and followed it briefly as it went home. He then spoke with the dog’s owners to make them aware that the dog had been “a bit of a distance from home.”
Officer O’Neil received information from someone regarding someone else in Bar Harbor.
Officer Formby responded to a report of an open door at a closed business in Bar Harbor, checked the business, and made a key holder aware of the situation.
Officer Formby assisted the Bar Harbor Fire Department with a medical call in Bar Harbor.
Friday, May 9, 2025
Sgt. Dickens and Officer Formby responded to a report of suspicious activity in the area of Dorothy Lane in Bar Harbor but could not locate anything suspicious.
A Seal Harbor resident provided some information of a civil nature to Officer Edgecomb who investigated the information and discovered that the situation had resolved itself.
Officer Mora responded to a repot of a bag of trash in the roadway in Bar Harbor but the bag was gone when he arrived.
Someone found a bicycle pack in Bar Harbor and Officer Mora was able to locate the owner while on patrol and return it to them.
Someone reported some information to Officer T. Cake in Bar Harbor.
Someone reported the theft of fuel oil from a residence in Bar Harbor sometime over the winter.
Officer Edgecomb took a report from a caretaker in Northeast Harbor that a suspicious vehicle had entered the property and then turned around and left. No contact was made with the vehicle or its occupants.
Officers assisted the Bar Harbor Fire Department with a medical call in Town Hill.
Sgt. Dickens responded to a loud music complaint in Somesville, located the music’s source, and the music was ended for the night.
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Officer Mora responded to an unattended death in Bar Harbor and found it to not be suspicious and natural in nature.
Someone requested a police detail for a private event in Bar Harbor.
Sunday, May 11, 2025
A motorist made a complaint about a bicyclist who failed to yield at an intersection in Bar Harbor. Officer T. Cake was able to locate the cyclist and advise them to follow the traffic laws.
While on patrol, Officer T. Cake located a vehicle that was parked in a no parking area in Bar Harbor and placed a warning on the vehicle which was gone a short time later.
Officer T. Cake assisted another agency in Bar Harbor.
Someone reported some information to Officer T. Cake in Bar Harbor. Officer T. Cake then patrolled the area of the complaint and found the complaint to be unfounded.
Allen Scott, 68, of Bar Harbor, was driving a 1984 Porsche 930 south on Main Street in Bar Harbor when a fire broke out in the engine compartment. Scott was able to pull over and get the fire out. There were no injuries and the vehicle had to be towed.
Monday, May 12, 2025
Officer Mora fingerprinted someone for employment purposes in Bar Harbor.
Officer Edgecomb responded to a complaint that a tractor trailer was parked on a sharp corner and blocking a lane near the Asticou Inn in Mount Desert. When Officer Edgecomb arrived, the tractor trailer was parked on a straight stretch and not impeding traffic.
Officer Mora assisted another agency with a complaint in Bar Harbor.
Officer Formby responded to a report of water coming up from a lawn on Pretty Marsh Road in Mount Desert. Upon investigation it was determined to be a sump pump issue and not an urgent matter.
Sgt. Jerrod Hardy took a report from a Bar Harbor resident regarding someone acting suspiciously near the complainant’s property. When the area was checked, officers did not locate anything out of the ordinary.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR AND TREMONT
The following incidents occurred in Southwest Harbor or Tremont last week according to the Southwest Harbor Police Department police log, which is publicly released information.
Monday, May 5, 2025
Officer Kristen Roulet served paperwork to a Tremont resident.
Officer Roulet attempted to serve paperwork to two Tremont residents but neither was at home.
Sgt. Ryan Blakeney responded to a motor vehicle compliant in Tremont but could not locate the vehicle.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Officer Rick Graham stood by during the exchange of a child in Tremont. The exchange was completed peacefully.
Officer Graham is investigating a report of identity theft by a Southwest Harbor resident.
Officer Graham attempted to serve paperwork to a Tremont resident but could not locate the person.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Officer Roulet performed a requested citizen assist in Tremont.
Officer Roulet attempted to serve paperwork to a Tremont resident but could not locate the person.
Officer Roulet served paperwork to a Tremont resident.
Officer Roulet assisted the ambulance service with a well-being check on a Southwest Harbor resident.
Sgt. Blakeney responded to a report of a wild animal that was acting strangely at a Southwest Harbor residence. Sgt. Blakeney observed the animal and agreed with the reporting party that the animal was not acting normally and dispatched the animal.
Thursday, May 8, 2025
No reportable incidents.
Friday, May 9, 2025
Officer Roulet performed a requested keep the peace for a “juvenile situation” in Southwest Harbor.
Someone walked into the Southwest Harbor Police Department to report an incident at a gas station.
A Tremont resident reported that vehicles were repeatedly speeding on a local road. Sgt. Blakeney will have some directed patrol conducted in the area.
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Officer Graham received a report of a residential burglary alarm in Southwest Harbor but the owner of the residence called and stated that they had set it off by accident.
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Officer James Kamorski responded to an alarm at a Southwest Harbor business and was able to determine that it was a false alarm.
Officer Kamorski resolved an issue for a Southwest Harbor resident after the resident flagged him down while he was driving down the Seawall Road.
Officer Kamorski performed a requested well-being check on a Southwest Harbor resident and found them to be okay.
Sgt. Blakeney was asked to check on the well-being of a deer that was hanging out on the lawn of a Southwest Harbor residence. Sgt. Blakeney determined that the deer was fine.
STATE POLICE PRESS RELEASES
These are the Maine State Police press releases from the last few days. The Bar Harbor Story will include these each week though most (and sometimes all) do not occur on Mount Desert Island.
Maine State Police Investigating Fatal Crash in Washington County
MILBRIDGE—On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at approximately 2:23 p.m., the Maine State Police responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash on Route 1 in Milbridge. The initial investigation indicates that 79-year-old Clyde Samuelson Jr., of Columbia, was traveling east on Route 1 in a 2011 Ford pickup truck when the vehicle left the roadway on the north side and entered a ditch between Route 1 and the Sunrise Trail.
Samuelson was the sole occupant of the vehicle. First responders removed Samuelson from the vehicle and initiated life-saving measures but unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Traffic was not impacted during the response.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Department and the Milbridge Fire Department assisted on scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Arrest Made in Connection to Arson at Veterans Park in Lewiston
LEWISTON—On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at approximately 9:00 p.m., the Lewiston Fire Department responded to a fire involving a wooden structure located at Veterans Park at 2 Main Street. Fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze and requested assistance from the Office of the State Fire Marshal to investigate the origin and cause of the fire. Following an on-scene examination conducted by fire marshal investigators, the fire was determined to have been intentionally set.
The building, which is city-owned and had no electrical power, was valued at approximately $3,000. 37-year-old Josh Kyle, an unhoused individual in Lewiston, admitted to investigators to lighting a blanket on fire inside the building, which led to the structure catching fire. Kyle was arrested and transported to the Androscoggin County Jail.
This case was the result of a collaborative effort between the Fire Marshal’s Office and the Lewiston Police and Fire Departments. The investigation remains ongoing.
Three Defendants Sentenced in 2017 Homicide of Wayne Foss
WHITNEYVILLE—On October 28, 2017, the body of 48-year-old Wayne Foss was discovered in his home in Whitneyville. The residence had been set on fire, but the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta was able to determine that Mr. Foss’s death was a homicide. The cause of death was sharp force injury and inhalation of combustible materials.
Detectives from the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit North, Investigators from the Office of State Fire Marshal, and later detectives from the Major Crimes Unit Unsolved, spent years following every lead in the case. In October 2023, a Washington County Grand Jury indicted three individuals in connection with Mr. Foss’s death.
35-year-old Justin Matthews, of Robbinston was arrested in Saco. 29-year-old Basilio Liranzo, of Bronx, New York, who was already incarcerated at the Maine State Prison on unrelated charges, was also indicted. 27-year-old Leanza Boney, of Bronx, New York, was arrested in New York City by Maine State Police detectives and members of a U.S. Marshal’s Task Force.
Over the past several months, all three individuals pleaded guilty to charges related to Mr. Foss’s death. The final sentencing, for Justin Matthews, occurred on May 8, 2025. Matthews was sentenced on felony murder to 16 years all but 10 years suspended with 4 years probation.
Liranzo was sentenced to 16 years for felony murder and arson.
Boney was sentenced on conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 16 years all but 5 years suspended with 4 years probation.
This case highlights the continued commitment of the Maine State Police and the Attorney General’s Office to securing justice in homicide cases no matter how much time has passed. Anyone with information related to this case, or any unsolved homicide or missing persons case, is encouraged to contact the Maine State Police.
Augusta: 207-624-7076 or 1-800-452-4664
Bangor: 207-973-3700 or 1-800-432-7381
Houlton: 207-532-5400 or 1-800-924-2261
Attempted Traffic Stop Leads to Pursuit and Domestic Violence Investigation
TOPSHAM—On Sunday, May 11, 2025, at approximately 8:22 a.m., a Maine State Trooper observed a red 2024 Nissan Altima entering I-295 northbound at mile marker 31 in Topsham at a high rate of speed.
The trooper caught up to the vehicle at around mile marker 36 northbound in Bowdoinham, where he activated his blue lights and siren to stop the vehicle. The vehicle failed to stop and accelerated. The trooper was able to identify the registration and observed two occupants inside. The vehicle exited the interstate at mile marker 37 northbound in Bowdoinham and continued at a high rate of speed onto Post Road, then Center Road, Cemetery Road, and finally Ridge Road continuing to travel at a high rate of speed. Due to the residential setting and public safety concerns, the Trooper terminated the pursuit. The total length of the pursuit was approximately 2.5 miles.
A short time later the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office informed the state police that Topsham police had received a report of a domestic violence incident involving the same vehicle. A witness reported observing the male driver assault a female passenger and force her back into the vehicle in the Hannaford parking lot in Topsham before fleeing the area.
The vehicle was later located at a residence on Carding Machine Road in Bowdoinham. Sagadahoc Deputies attempted to make contact with the male driver, identified as 44-year-old Joseph Cloutier, of Bowdoinham, when he fled on foot into a wooded area.
The female victim was located and is safe. A K9 track was conducted. The Maine Forest Service deployed their helicopter to provide support from the air, but Cloutier was not located.
An arrest warrant has been drafted for multiple charges, including domestic violence assault, criminal speed, failure to stop, violating conditions of release, and operating after suspension. At this time, there is no known danger to the public. Anyone with information about Cloutier’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076.
Former Maine Man Arrested in Alabama for 2024 Arson in Eddington
BANKS, ALABAMA—On Thursday, May 8, 2025, the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office with the assistance of the Pike County Sheriff’s Office arrested 59-year-old Luther Green, of Banks, Alabama, formerly of Eddington, Maine, on charges of arson and burglary in connection with a 2024 fire in Eddington.
Green was taken into custody in Alabama on an active arrest warrant and flown back to Maine by Maine Fire Marshal investigators and transported to the Penobscot County Jail. The charges stem from a fire on July 3, 2024, that damaged the Heritage on 9 Restaurant and Tavern located at 999 Main Road. The business had closed in 2023 and was not occupied at the time of the fire.
The arrest follows a yearlong investigation by the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office highlighting the complex and detailed work involved in fire investigations and the commitment to resolving arson cases. The Maine Fire Marshal’s Office would like to thank the Pike County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance. Given this remains an active investigation, no additional information is available at this time.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigates Arson at Bangor Business
BANGOR—On Monday, May 12, 2025, at approximately 11:51 p.m., the Bangor Fire Department responded to a reported commercial building fire at Bangor Braces, located at 257 Harlow Street in Bangor. During their response, Bangor firefighters noted suspicious circumstances regarding the origin and cause of the fire and requested assistance from the Office of State Fire Marshal.
A fire investigator from the Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene and determined that the fire originated on the exterior of the building near two plastic trash cans before extending to the interior. Following a thorough scene examination, the fire was ruled arson.
As a result of the investigation, 30-year-old Kerry Smith, an unhoused individual in Bangor, was identified, located, and arrested by investigators from the Fire Marshal’s Office. Smith has been charged with arson and was transported to the Penobscot County Jail.
The fire caused approximately $20,000 in damage to the building. No injuries were reported, and the building was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The investigation remains ongoing.
HANCOCK COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
The following are the public releases from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. Each image can be clicked on and expanded.
UPDATE: This story was updated at 4:33 p.m. to include additional information from Amanda Pollock.
Follow us on Facebook. And as a reminder, you can easily view all our past stories and press releases here.
If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here (about how you can give) or here (a direct link), which is the same as the button below.
If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.