Mount Desert Man Arrested for Burglary and Criminal Mischief
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Andy’s Home Improvement Inc.
MOUNT DESERT—According to a press release by the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department, on January 3, 2025, at approximately 1:45 a.m., following a complaint by a resident of Otter Creek Drive, Vincent Abbott, 51, of Mount Desert was arrested by officers, Lukas Keene and Nathan Formby, and charged with alleged burglary, class B, alleged criminal mischief, class D, and alleged burglary of a motor vehicle, class D.
According to Lt. Kevin Edgecomb, the burglary investigation involves both a residence and a motor vehicle.
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, December 30, 2024
A Bar Harbor resident reported to Officer Troy Stanwood that there was damage to a fence at a property that they caretake for that may have been caused by snowplowing.
Mental Health Liaison Melissa Tozier and Sgt. Doug Brundett responded to a Mount Desert Street business in Bar Harbor for a person who was possibly in distress but was actually having a housing crisis. MHL Tozier assisted the person with a plan to move forward.
Sgt. Brundrett spoke with a Bar Harbor resident regarding a civil issue.
MHL Tozier followed up with someone in Bar Harbor who had made a suicidal statement.
Sgt. Brundrett took a report of property damage that had occurred at a Cottage Street business in Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Brundrett responded to a complaint that a tractor trailer truck was blocking traffic on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor and spoke with the truck’s driver who moved the truck.
Officer Stanwood conducted a requested well-being check in Bar Harbor and found the subject of the truck to be okay.
Following a complaint of theft at a Bar Harbor business, Officer Stanwood arrested Devon Pierce, 33, of Bucksport, for alleged theft by unauthorized taking. Pierce was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Officer Elias Burne issued someone a trespass warning for a Bar Harbor business.
An intoxicated man was issued a disorderly conduct warning by Officer Justin Burnett in Bar Harbor.
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Officer Burnett investigated a suspicious man on the Park Loop Road in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Someone in Bar Harbor was transported to the hospital for a well-being check.
Sgt. Brundrett spoke with a Mount Desert resident regarding a landlord/tenant issue.
MHL Tozier assisted someone in Bar Harbor who has mental health needs with accessing emergency shelter.
Wednesday, January 1, 2024
Officer Zack Kline responded to a Bar Harbor drinking establishment for a report of two women pushing each other outside the bar but could not find any evidence of such an event upon arrival.
Officer Stanwood responded to a Bar Harbor business for a report of a person harassing customers and the person was issued a trespass warning for the business.
Officer Stanwood served someone with a subpoena in Bar Harbor.
Officer Stanwood served someone with a subpoena in Trenton.
Officer Burne transported someone in Bar Harbor to a warming station in Ellsworth.
Someone reported damage to a fence on their property in Mount Desert to Officer Ted Cake.
Officer Stanwood is investigating a report of some damage to a rental property in Bar Harbor.
Officer T. Cake issued a trespass warning to someone in Mount Desert.
Officer Keene assisted some people who were parked at the entrance of Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor.
Officer Keene moved along a suspicious vehicle from Freshies in Somesville.
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Formby summonsed Petagaye Marchant Ginn, no age given, no hometown given, for alleged operating without a license.
Thursday, January 2, 2024
Officer T. Cake checked on a vehicle with a flat tire on Route 102 in Bar Harbor and was told by the operator that they were all set and they were calling a tow truck.
A Mount Desert resident reported to Officer T. Cake that their dog had run off. The caller called back a short time later and said that the dog had returned home.
MHL Tozier assisted someone in Bar Harbor with retrieving some personal property.
Officer Liam Harrington conducted a detail at MDI High School in Bar Harbor.
Following a bar check in Bar Harbor, Sara Alley, 39, of Bar Harbor, was arrested by Officer Formby for alleged violating conditions of release.
Officer Judson Cake performed a well-being check in Bar Harbor and found the woman to be tired but otherwise all set.
Officer Formby is investigating a possible administrative liquor law violation in Bar Harbor.
After receiving a report of a man slumped over the wheel of his vehicle in Bar Harbor, Officer J. Cake checked on the man and found that he was bent over watching a movie.
Friday, January 3, 2024
Officer Keene received a report of a motorist with a disabled vehicle in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer J. Cake looked for a vehicle that was the subject of a motor vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor but could not locate it.
Officer Caleb Mora assisted another law enforcement agency with a criminal investigation.
Officer Stanwood conducted a detail at the MDI High School in Bar Harbor.
Officer Harrington performed a security check on an unsecured business in Bar Harbor.
Saturday, January 4, 2024
Officer Burnett issued someone a trespass warning for a Bar Harbor business.
Officer Harrington completed a sex offender registry verification for a Bar Harbor resident.
Sgt. Jerrod Hardy attempted to locate someone so that he could issue them a trespass warning for a Bar Harbor business but could not locate them at the time.
Sgt. Hardy spoke with a Bar Harbor resident regarding some information that they wanted to be on file.
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Mora summonsed Ryan Rebar, 29, of Bar Harbor for alleged operating after registration suspended.
Officer Harrington performed a well-being check on someone in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer Kline attempted to locate a Ford F-150 in Bar Harbor for the Southwest Harbor Police Department but did not locate it.
Sunday, January 5, 2024
Officer Burnett conducted a property check in Bar Harbor.
Officer Kaleb Payson assisted another agency in Tremont by passing on information.
Sgt. Hardy investigated a report of an assault at a housing complex in Bar Harbor and determined that one of the parties “did not have a culpable state of mind to commit the crime of assault.” A referral was made to adult protective services.
Officer Burnett arrested James C. Butler, no age given, no hometown given, in Bar Harbor on an active arrest warrant charging failure to appear. Butler was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Monday, January 6, 2025
A Bar Harbor resident reported a possible fraud case to the police department and was referred to the Maine Attorney General’s Office.
Someone reported some information to Officer T. Cake in Mount Desert.
Officer Amie Torrey investigated a complaint that the traffic light at the intersection of Eden Street and Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor was not functioning properly. It was found to be functioning properly.
MHL Tozier provided a Bar Harbor resident with resources for heating assistance.
Officer Torrey responded to a report of a large object in the roadway in Bar Harbor and found that it had been moved out of the roadway by the time she arrived.
A man requested a well-being check on his mother in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
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, December 30, 2024
No reportable incidents.
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
No reportable incidents.
Wednesday, January 1, 2024
Sgt. Ryan Blakeney is investigating a property dispute after one was reported in Tremont and he spoke with both involved parties.
Thursday, January 2, 2024
Sgt. Blakeney responded to a loud noise complaint at a Southwest Harbor apartment complex. The complainant said that she had heard a series of knocks and was worried that someone was in distress. Sgt. Blakeney could not find any evidence of anyone being in distress.
Sgt. Blakeney is investigating a late report of suspicious activity in Tremont.
Following a traffic stop in Tremont, Officer James Kamorski arrested Jasen White, 54, of Bass Harbor, for an arrest warrant out of New Hampshire. White was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Friday, January 3, 2024
Officer Kamorski responded to a 911 call from Tremont where the caller said that they could hear their neighbor yelling for help from within their apartment. Officer Kamorski made entry into the apartment of the person needing help and assisted the patient until the ambulance arrived.
Saturday, January 4, 2024
Someone from Tremont called the Southwest Harbor Police Department and reported that they could hear a fight in the apartment above them. Officer Russell responded and found that nobody was home when he arrived. Officer Russell attempted to contact the individuals who live in the apartment above the complainant but could not.
Sunday, January 5, 2024
Officer Russell is investigating a possible false report of a fire in Tremont. Someone reported a fire at a Tremont residence and when firefighters arrived, the reporting party was not there and there was no fire.
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.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigates Machias Motel Fire
MACHIAS—On December 25, 2024, at 8:40 p.m., investigators from the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office were called to 231 Dublin Road in Machias, the Bluebird Motel, for a report of a building fire. The FMO is classifying this fire as undetermined due to the extent of the damage.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigates Clinton Mobile Home Fire
CLINTON—On December 25, 2024, at 8:06 a.m., investigators from the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office were called to 144 Gustafson Road in Clinton to assist the Clinton Fire Department with an origin-and-cause fire investigation. After conducting a scene examination, investigators determined that the fire was started by an overheated heat tape beneath the mobile home. The fire is being classified as accidental.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigates Appleton Fire With Injuries
APPLETON—On December 29, 2024, at 6:49 p.m., investigators from the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office were requested to respond to 2036 Appleton Ridge Road in Appleton for a report of a building fire with injuries. Investigators determined that a woman sustained burns from the fire and was transported to Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport by ambulance. Due to the extent of her injuries, she was then transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland. The fire is still under investigation; however, it appears accidental and involves the wood stove. The woman remains hospitalized.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigates Fatal Fire in Biddeford
BIDDEFORD—On December 30, 2024, at 3:27 p.m., investigators from the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office were requested to respond to 289 Alfred Street in Biddeford by the Biddeford Fire Department to assist in investigating a fire that claimed the life of a 71-year-old. The fire was contained to the second-floor apartment over the attached garage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The main home was not damaged by fire.
Maine State Police Investigates Fatal Wrong-Way Driver Crash on I-95 in Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD—On December 31, 2024, at approximately 1100 a.m., state police began taking calls about a wrong-way driver who was northbound in the southbound lane of Interstate 95 near mile 142 in Burnham. Minutes later, as troopers were en route to intercept the vehicle, reports of a head-on crash came in at mile 147 in Pittsfield.
Investigators determined Ivan Cunningham, 82, of Corinna, was operating his 2013 Ford Focus northbound in the southbound lane before striking a 2023 Ford F-150, operated by 27-year-old Nathaniel Blanchard of Stetson head-on. State police, working with the Maine Department of Transportation, quickly shut I-95 southbound down at Exit 150, diverting traffic while rescue personnel responded.
Cunningham was pronounced dead at the scene. Blanchard, despite the severity of the crash, was flown via LifeFlight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor with injuries that are considered non-life threatening. This portion of I-95 was closed for approximately two hours while a State Police Reconstruction team assisted Troop I with their investigation.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigates House Fire in Atkinson - Three Teenage Boys Hailed as Heroes
ATKINSON—On January 1, 2025, at 1:44 a.m., a residential house fire was reported at 110 North Stagecoach Road in the Town of Atkinson. The structure, an 1800s farmhouse with an attached barn, was fully engulfed in flames when emergency responders arrived. The Fire Marshal's Office was called to conduct an origin and cause investigation. Due to the extent of the damage, the fire has been classified as undetermined, with multiple accidental electrical causes not ruled out.
Three local teenage boys are being hailed as heroes for discovering the fire and helping the homeowners escape. State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler remarked, “Had they not been in the right place at the right time, this could have been a much more tragic fire event.”
The Fire Marshal's Office continues to gather information regarding the fire.
Maine State Police Investigating Fatal Pedestrian/Tractor Trailer Accident in Fairfield
FAIRFIELD—On January 3, 2025, at approximately 3:37 a.m., the Bangor Regional Communications Center received a 911 call reporting that a tractor-trailer unit had struck a pedestrian at mile marker 132 southbound in Fairfield. Responding troopers discovered that the deceased, Mark Michaud, 49, of Fairfield, Maine, was struck by a tractor-trailer unit while attempting to cross the off-ramp of exit 132. Damon Sylvia, 19, of Milford, Maine, was operating the unit at the time of the incident.
The Maine State Police Accident Reconstruction Team analyzed the scene, while the Maine State Police Commercial Motor Vehicle unit inspected the tractor-trailer unit. Troop I troopers will continue to investigate the crash.
Fire Marshal’s Office Arrests Woman For Arson in Augusta
AUGUSTA—On January 4, 2025, just before 5:00a.m., the Augusta Fire Department and the Augusta Police Department were dispatched to 7 Boothby Street in Augusta for a 911 caller reporting that a porch was on fire. 7 Boothby Street is a vacant three-story apartment complex. Arriving units located the fire on the first-floor exterior porch and quickly extinguished the fire.
Augusta Police identified Amanda Condon, 37, as a suspect and subsequently contacted the Office of State Fire Marshal to assist. When fire investigators arrived, they conducted a fire origin and cause investigation and interviewed Ms. Condon. Ms. Condon was then transported to the local hospital for evaluation. Based on evidence found at the scene and statements made by Ms. Condon, upon release from the hospital, Ms. Condon was arrested and charged with arson and violating conditions of release. She was subsequently transported to the Kennebec County Jail.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigating Truck Explosion in Swanville
SWANVILLE—On Sunday, January 5, 2024, at approximately 9:08 p.m., the Maine State Police requested the Office of Maine State Fire Marshal (FMO) to assist with an explosion investigation that occurred at 7:30 p.m. in Swanville. Troopers with the Maine State Police, through their initial investigation, received information and the location of a person of interest, identified as 20-year-old Patrick Kane, of Topsham.
Officers with the Gardiner Police Department were able to intercept Kane and detain him for questioning by FMO fire investigators. Simultaneously, fire investigators responded to Swanville to conduct an origin and cause investigation. The incident involved an explosion in the back of a pickup truck parked at 1475 Swan Lake Avenue in Swanville.
Through multiple interviews, to include Kane, fire investigators gathered probable cause to arrest and charge him with arson and violating conditions of release. Kane was currently out on bail for an arson charge in early 2024 that the FMO investigated. Kane was taken into custody and transported to the Waldo County Jail, where he was denied bail. He will be held pending a court appearance on the new charges. No other information is available at this time. The incident remains under investigation.
Maine State Police Investigating Tractor Trailer Crash on Turnpike in Wells
WELLS—On Monday, January 6, 2025, at approximately 4:43 p.m., Troop G troopers responded to a tractor trailer crash on the Maine Turnpike at mile marker 18 in Wells. The tractor trailer was traveling northbound when the driver lost control of the truck and crashed through the median guardrail, traveling across the southbound lanes of the highway, and finally coming to rest in the tree line on the southbound side of the highway. The driver was not injured, and no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
The crash is still under investigation, but driver fatigue appears to be a contributing factor. At this point no citations have been issued. This crash had minimal effect on traffic flow both northbound and southbound. Troop G was assisted on scene by MSP’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit, Turnpike Maintenance, National Towing, and Maine DEP.
CASE UPDATE: Fire Marshal’s Office Arrests Two Men For Starting Structure Fire in Waterville
WATERVILLE—On January 29, 2023, at 10:35 p.m., the Waterville Fire Department and police department responded at a structure fire at 10 Moody Street in Waterville. 10 Moody Street is a duplex residence that was occupied at the time of the fire. Waterville Fire Department suppressed the fire, preserving evidence, and secured the fire scene.
Investigators from the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office arrived on scene and conducted an origin and cause investigation. It was determined the fire originated on the exterior of one side of the duplex, with gasoline used as an accelerant. Maine State Police Crime Laboratory confirmed the presence of gasoline.
The Fire Marshal’s Office initiated an extensive investigation, with assistance from the Waterville Fire Department, Waterville Police Department, Maine State Police Crime Laboratory, and the Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office.
Results of investigation generated sufficient probable cause to arrest Aaron Pelotte, 27, of Cornville, and Devon Pomerleau, age 24, of Benton. Arrest warrant affidavits were prepared charging both Pelotte and Pomerleau with arson. Pelotte and Pomerleau were taken into custody by investigators from the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office on March 13, 2023. Both Pelotte and Pomerleau were subsequently indicted by the Kennebec County Grand Jury.
Pelotte recently pled guilty to arson and was sentenced to ten years in prison with all but four years suspended and four years of probation upon release.
Pomerleau recently pled guilty to arson and was sentenced to ten years in prison with all but nine months suspended and four years of probation upon release.
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.
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.