February 2021

At approximately 1:32 am on Friday, February 12th, the Androscoggin Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call for what was reported as a home invasion scenario with possible gunshot(s).  When the deputies arrived on scene they found a male unresponsive on the floor and a female in medical distress.  Both male and female victims later died at the hospital.  The victims have been identified as 52-year-old Troy Varney and 48-year-old Dulsie Varney. 

The suspect was located in the house and was taken into custody.  He was identified as Patrick Maher, 24, of Turner.  The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit - South began responding to the incident at approximately 2:19 a.m.  At 2:20 p.m., Maine State Police Detectives charged Patrick Maher with two counts of murder and he was brought to the Androscoggin County Jail.  Authorities are confident that there is no on-going risk to public safety.  

Detectives remain on scene interviewing witnesses and other persons of interest.  The Maine State Police Evidence Response team crime scene technicians are processing the scene at this hour and are expected to remain on scene throughout the day.  The Androscoggin Sheriff’s Department, Maine State Police Troop B and the Lewiston Police Department also assisted in securing the scene, identifying witnesses and securing evidence.  
 

Incident Type:         warrant arrest

Date:                          2/12/2021

Town:                        Hodgdon

Trooper:                   Cpl. Quint

Brief Synopsis:       Cpl. Quint was in Hodgdon and stopped a vehicle for speeding.  During the traffic stop, it was discovered the driver had an active warrant for a domestic violence that occurred in Houlton.  The man was arrested without incident and transported to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.

 

Incident Type:         wrong way driver

Date:                          2/13/2021

Town:                        Smyrna/Sherman

Trooper:                   Cpl. Quint / Tr. Castonguay / Tr. Flynn

Brief Synopsis:       The Houlton RCC received a report of a wrong way driver on Interstate 95, Houlton.  Cpl. Quint was able to get in front of the vehicle, into a crossover, and got the vehicle stopped.  The driver stated he was not familiar with the area, was lost, and did not realize he was on the Interstate system.  Tr. Castonguay arrived to assist and after speaking with the man for several minutes, he was summonsed for Driving to Endanger and released.  No impairment was detected.  About an hour later, a second report of a wring way driver was reported to Bangor RCC in Medway.  The vehicle, same description as the first report in Houlton, was driving north in the south bound lane.  Before Troopers could get the vehicle stopped, it ran out of gas.  When Troopers Flynn and Castonguay tried speaking to the man this time, he was no coherent and could not answer simple questions.  The man was arrested and transported to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.  A DRE responded and determined the man was impaired by drugs.  No one was injured in either incident.

 

Incident Type:         OAS

Date:                          2/09/2021

Town:                        Fort Kent

Trooper:                   Tr. Desrosier

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Desrosier was driving through Fort Kent when a vehicle crossed the centerline into his lane.  Tr. Desrosier observed the male driver was looking down to the right and when he refocused on the road, he jerked the car back into the proper lane.  Tr. Desrosier stooped the vehicle and discovered the man had a revoked license, attached false plates to the car, and was on bail.  The man was issued criminal summonses for all violations and the vehicle was towed from the roadway.

 

Incident Type:         Bail Violation

Date:                          2/12/2021

Town:                        wade

Trooper:                   Tr. Rider

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Rider went to an address in Wade to conduct a bail check on a man who had a curfew.  Tr. Rider had information that the man continually was violating the conditions of his release.  An investigation determined that man was in violation of his curfew, has not been staying at the address on his bail, and was at an unknown location.  Tr. Rider has not been able to locate the male and a warrant will be issued for his arrest.

 

 

Incident Type:         trespassing

Date:                          2/11/2021

Town:                        Eagle Lake

Trooper:                   Tr. Martin

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Martin was contacted by a representative of the owner of an apartment complex when a female that had been evicted had returned to the property and removed property without permission.  His investigation revealed that the woman had not notified the owner of the property of her intention to return.  Tr. Martin was able to locate the woman and a male subject that had been with her and charged them both with trespassing.

 

Incident Type:         Woodland

Date:                          2/08/2021

Town:                        Woodland

Trooper:                   Cpl. Michaud

Brief Synopsis:       Cpl. Michaud responded to Woodland when a local man reported catching people on property the he oversaw.  Cpl. Michaud was able to locate 2 men that had been on the property and determined that one of the men had attempted to steal some material from and old, abandoned vehicle in order to repair his own vehicle. The man had been unsuccessful due to snow depth and the condition of the vehicle.  The owner chose to have the subjects warned for trespassing and told not to return.

 

Incident Type:         Theft

Date:                          2/10/2021

Town:                        Linneus

Trooper:                   Cpl. Michaud

Brief Synopsis:       Cpl. Michaud was contacted by a property owner when he was checking his property and found that someone had been trespassing on it and had cut a catalytic converter from an old vehicle on the property.  The investigation is ongoing.

 

Incident Type:         Criminal Speed

Date:                          2/11/2021

Town:                        Presque Isle

Trooper:                   Cpl. Michaud

Brief Synopsis:       Cpl. Michaud pulled over a local man when he clocked him on radar at 85 MPH in a 45 MPH zone.  The man was late for work after having driven almost all the way in and discovering he had forgotten his face mask.  The man was cited for his speed and allowed to return to work.

 

 

 

Incident Type:         FRAUD

Date:                          2/12/2021

Town:                        linneus

Trooper:                   tr. mahon

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Mahon responded to a residence in Linneus reference to a fraud complaint.  A female reported receiving an email about purchases on her Amazon account.  She responded to the email and they instructed her to purchase 20 google play gift cards which she did totaling $1700 in charges.  She provided them with the numbers on the cards before becoming concerned it was a scam.  The female was instructed to contact her credit card company and report the fraud.  The investigation is ongoing. 

 

Incident Type:         THEFT

Date:                          2/13/2021

Town:                        patten

Trooper:                   tr. saucier

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Saucier received a report of a gas drive off in Patten.  The suspect paid for $40 worth of gas but actually pumped $52.  The investigation is ongoing.

 

# of School Visits conducted – 0

# of OUI Alcohol Arrests – 0

# of OUI Drug Arrests – 0

# of DV Arrests – 1

02-07-21

Trooper Gavin Endre conducted a traffic stop on Walker Road in Lamoine. The operator admitted to attaching false plates to his vehicle.

02-13-21

Trooper Gavin Endre responded to Trenton for the report of a rear window broken out of a vehicle overnight.

 

 

Incident Type:         ARREST - OTHER

Date:                          2/19/2021

Town:                        presque isle

Trooper:                   Tr. Rider

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Rider was conducting traffic enforcement in the town of Presque Isle when he ran a registration plate on a vehicle.  The vehicle did not match the registration information.  The vehicle pulled into a local business and Tr. Rider waited for the vehicle to leave.  Tr. Rider conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and issued a summons to the operator for illegal attachment of plates.  

 

 

Incident Type:         SPECIALTY TEAM

Date:                          2/20/2021

Town:                        madawaska

Trooper:                   Tr. Desrosier

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Desrosier assisted Madawaska PD with a DRE evaluation. 

 

Incident Type:         CRIMINAL SPEED

Date:                          2/21/2021

Town:                        stockholm

Trooper:                   Tr. Desrosier

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Desrosier was conducting traffic enforcement on Rt. 161 in Stockholm when he observed a white SUV traveling at a high rate of speed.  Tr. Desrosier clocked its speed at 91 mph in a posted 55 mph zone.  The man stated that he knew that he was driving fast and was trying to get ahead of a couple of vehicles.  The man was issued a criminal summons for criminal speed.

 

 

Incident Type:         Trespassing

Date:                          2/20/2021

Town:                        Haynesville

Trooper:                   Tr. cotton

Brief Synopsis:       Sgt. Fuller and Tr. Cotton responded to a Haynesville location when a man reported begin assaulted by his neighbor.  The intoxicated caller claimed that he had been assaulted by his neighbor after a disagreement about the neighbor having a vehicle towed that the complainant felt he could fix. The investigation showed that the caller had actually been on the other man’s property and had been removed from the property by the homeowner after he had not left on his own.

 

Incident Type:         Theft

Date:                          2/21/2021

Town:                        Oakfield

Trooper:                   Tr. Cotton

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Cotton met with a representative from a local church when they realized that someone had recently cut the catalytic converter off from a van owned by the church.  The part appeared to have been recently cut off and the investigation is ongoing. 

 

Incident Type:         Trespassing

Date:                          2/17/2021

Town:                        Ludlow

Trooper:                   Tr. Sylvia

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Sylvia investigated a trespassing complaint in Ludlow where the homeowner reported a local man continued coming onto his property.  Tr. Sylvia issued a trespass warning to the man. 

 

Incident Type:         Trespassing

Date:                          2/18/2021

Town:                        Mount Chase

Trooper:                   Tr. Saucier

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Saucier received a report from a Mount Chase selectman   that an individual was going through the town dumpsters and they’d asked him not to do this in the past.  Tr. Saucier located the man and issued him a trespass warning. 

 

Incident Type:         Shoplifting

Date:                          2/18/2021

Town:                        Sherman

Trooper:                   Tr. Saucier

Brief Synopsis:       Tr. Saucier received a call from the Sherman Thriftway owner reporting they had a female on camera stealing a bottle of alcohol.  The female has yet to be identified and the case remains under investigation. 

# of School Visits conducted – 0

# of OUI Alcohol Arrests – 1

# of OUI Drug Arrests – 0

# of DV Arrests – 1

02-21-21

Trooper Keith York and Sergeant Jeff Ingemi responded to a crash in Crawford where the operator was reported to be intoxicated and attempting to leave the scene.  As a result of the investigation, Shannon McArthur (31) of Crawford, was arrested for Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol and also summonsed for Failure to Report an Accident by Quickest Means.  McArthur was uncooperative and refused an alcohol test.  Trooper Jeff Taylor and Animal Control assisted. 

Maine State Police are looking for assistance from the public in a hit-and-run crash in Swanville. 

On Feb. 25, 2021, Troopers from Troop D responded to a pedestrian struck on the Oak Hill Road in Swanville. The driver fled the scene. The pedestrian had to be Life-Flighted from the scene to an area hospital for critical injuries. Anyone with information regarding the crash should contact Tr. Luke Martin at 207-624-7066.
 

#UPDATE: Mr. Cote has been found safe in a convenience store in Androscoggin. 

Bridgeton Police have issued a Silver Alert for Robert Cote, 79, of Bridgeton. He was last seen at his nursing home at approximately 4 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2021 at 186 Portland Road in Bridgeton. Mr. Cote is described as a white male, 5’5”, 174 lbs., with hazel eyes and gray hair. Mr. Cote left on foot and has Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Anyone who sees Mr. Cote should call 911 or Bridgeton Police at 207-893-2810.