Lewiston

 
A Lewiston woman is facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor after an investigation by the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (CCU).
 
On August 26, 2020, the Maine State Police CCU and the Lewiston Police executed a search warrant for Knox Street in Lewiston. Police arrested Laura Rideout (45) of Lewiston for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and transported her to the Androscoggin County Jail. A Sept 23, 2020 court date was set in Lewiston. Bail was set at $50,000 cash with conditions of no contact with any minor under 16 and specifically no contact with the minor victim.
 
Rideout is being charged with the following crimes:
-Gross Sexual Assault  / Class A crime
-Sexual Exploitation of Minor Under 12 / Class A crime
-Possess Sexual Explicit Material of Minor Under 12 / Class C crime
-Dissemination of Sexually Explicit Material / Class B crime
 
This investigation is ongoing and no further details will be released.

LEWISTON, Maine – A Lewiston man is facing charges after fleeing from police in Lewiston.

At approximately 11:40 a.m., on July 9, 2020, Tr. Ryan Phillips was in contact with agents from Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) who were requesting his assistance in stopping a motor vehicle in Lewiston.  The vehicle was suspected to be operated by Chad Nichols, 31, of Lewiston.  Nichols was a suspect of drug trafficking, had a revoked license and two active felony warrants for his arrest.  Tr. Phillips intercepted the vehicle near the intersection of Russell St. and College St. in Lewiston and initiated a traffic stop.  While the Trooper was approaching the vehicle, the operator took off, leading Tr. Phillips on a high-speed pursuit northbound on College Rd. into a rural part of Lewiston and into the town of Greene.  

The chase continued into Greene, when the suspect vehicle turned onto Rt. 202 headed back toward Lewiston.  Lewiston Police officers set up spikes on Rt. 202 near the Lewiston/Greene line, but the deployment was not effective.  As the chase continued back into populated area of Lewiston, the decision was made to terminate the pursuit by Sgt. Joseph Bureau.  Simultaneously, Pilot Supervisor Jerry Pearson was airborne and had a visual on the suspect vehicle.  Pearson led responding units to that vehicle and provided a description of the suspect, as the suspect fled on foot into a wooded area off Tall Pines Drive. Cpl. Jonathan Russell and K-9 Gus began a track at that location.

MDEA agents received a tip that Nichols had been picked up and later located him in a vehicle on Scribner Blvd, near the intersection of Webster St.  Lewiston PD officers were first on scene at that location and initiated a felony stop.  Nichols was taken into custody at this location and was charged with Eluding, Driving to Endanger, Criminal Speed, and Operating after Revocation Habitual Offender.  
 

State Police say the man who died in a crash on the Maine Turnpike in Lewiston on April 27, 2020,  is 31 year old Joshua Lussier of Lewiston.  Troopers said Lussier was traveling at a high rate of speed in the northbound lane when his car struck guardrails.  He was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown out of the car. He died at the crash site.