All local and not-quite-so-local law enforcement press releases
Jul 22, 2025
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Havana.
BAR HARBOR—According to the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department’s weekly press release and Officer Kevin Edgecomb, on July 19, at approximately 1:38 a.m., Officer Judson Cake attempted to perform a traffic stop on a truck in Bar Harbor.
The truck did not stop and proceeded in the direction of Otter Creek at a high rate of speed. Officer Cake lost sight of the vehicle in the Village of Otter Creek and terminated his pursuit.
The truck was located in Otter Creek the next day off Grover Avenue. As of today, nobody has been charged and the investigation is ongoing.
BAR HARBOR— Also according to the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department’s weekly press release and Officer Edgecomb, on July 15, Officer Torrey responded to a dog in a vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor.
Officer Torrey monitored the dog, which was panting. According to Officer Edgecomb, the vehicle started out in the shade, but it was fully in the sun by the time the owner returned.
The police department had requested DC Towing, which was on its way. DC Towing did not arrive prior to the owner returning, so the dog was not removed from the vehicle prior to the owner’s arrival.
As a result of the circumstances, Minica Mary Weinreis, 72, of Amarillo, Texas, was summoned for alleged cruelty to animals.
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.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Officer Ted Cake performed a VIN verification for a tow company in Bar Harbor.
Officer Torrey responded to a complaint of two dogs being left in a vehicle in Bar Harbor, but the vehicle was gone when she arrived.
Officer T. Cake responded to a parking complaint in Northeast Harbor but could not locate the source of the complaint.
Mental Health Liaison Melissa Tozier spoke with someone experiencing mental and interpersonal distress in Bar Harbor.
Someone reported a theft in Bar Harbor to Officer Shelby O’Neil. The missing items were located and no charges are pending.
Sgt. Chris Dickens responded to a report of dogs in a vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor and found “no concerning conditions.”
Officer Liam Harrington responded to a report of a disabled vehicle in the roadway in Bar Harbor and found that the vehicle was parked in a private parking area upon his arrival.
Sgt. Dickens handled a report of parked vehicles blocking the Summit Road in Northeast Harbor and had one of the vehicles moved by its owner.
Someone reported a road rage incident in Bar Habor to Officer J. Cake and just wanted it on record.
Someone reported a road rage incident in Mount Desert, but all of the officers were busy with other calls at the time and the offending vehicle was not located.
Officer Troy Stanwood provided someone a ride from Bar Harbor to Northeast Harbor after they had become separated from their group.
Sgt. Dickens assisted someone with locating a taxi after they had been involved in a hit-and-run in Bar Harbor
Someone in Mount Desert reported to Officer J. Cake that their significant other was having some mental health issues and they wanted it on record.
Sgt. Dickens was asked to assist the Bar Harbor Fire Department with a medical call but before he could arrive, he was told that he was no longer needed .
Officer J. Cake responded to a domestic violence situation in a Mount Desert hotel. The matter is under investigation and charges are pending.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Someone reported to Officer Justin Burnett that approximately $1,500 worth of tools had been stolen from a work truck in the middle of the day while the truck was parked in a Seal Harbor parking lot.
Officer O’Neil received information regarding a parking disagreement in Bar Harbor but the involved people had left.
Officer Burnett responded to a report of a disabled vehicle on Main Street in Somesville. The vehicle was towed by a local towing company.
Sgt. Soren Sundberg responded to a complaint regarding a road crew in Bar Harbor not having appropriate signage. Sgt. Sundberg learned that the crew was in the process of moving to a new location and was still moving the signage.
Officer Zach Kline responded to a complaint of dogs left in a vehicle in Bar Harbor and spoke with the owner regarding the dangers of leaving dogs in a vehicle in the summer.
The Mount Desert Police Department was provided information regarding someone who is believed to drive intoxicated.
Someone in Bar Harbor reported that their dog had locked them out of their vehicle and they were provided numbers for tow companies who respond to lockouts.
A motor vehicle complaint was received on Route 102 in Mount Desert but no officer could locate the vehicle before it had time to make it off of the island.
Officer Kline responded to a loose dog complaint in the area of the Nor’Easter in Northeast Harbor, located the dog, and returned it to its owner.
Officer Nathan Formby performed a requested well-being check in Bar Harbor and found the person to be okay.
Officer Formby assisted MDI Hospital with getting some paperwork signed.
Officer Formby responded to a suspicious situation complaint in Bar Harbor but could not locate anything suspicious after checking the area.
Sgt. Dickens received a report of a deceased fawn in the roadway near Freshies in Somesville and removed it from the roadway.
Officer Formby gave someone a ride from their residence in Bar Harbor to “a different location.”
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Officer Stanwood gave an intoxicated man a ride to his hotel in Bar Harbor.
Officer Stanwood warned five people about camping in their vehicles in Bar Harbor and moved them all along.
Officer Lukas Keene checked around town and moved illegal vehicle campers along in Bar Harbor.
Officer Formby received some information in Bar Harbor.
Officer Caleb Mora assisted at a medical call in Bar Harbor.
After receiving a report of people swimming in Lower Hadlock Pond in Mount Desert, Officer Kline checked the area but could not locate anyone swimming.
Officer Mora responded to a motor vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor but the vehicle was off the island before he could locate it.
The Mount Desert Police Department received a letter about a cat (lost) in Northeast Harbor and Officer Kline spoke with complainant who just wanted to know how to deal with the cat. The complainant was “advised that there wasn’t much for the police to do since there isn’t a law or ordinance about lost cats.”
Officer Burnett fingerprinted someone at the Bar Harbor Police Department for immigration purposes.
Officer Burnett investigated a report of a child that was bitten by a dog at a Bar Harbor hotel and received minor injuries.
Officer Mora tried to locate a vehicle that was the subject of a complaint in Bar Harbor but could not.
Officer Kline is investigating the burglary of someone’s apartment in Mount Desert. A birth certificate, social security number, and $7,000 in cash were reportedly stolen.
Following an investigation, Cooper Goshdigian, 22, of Coventry, Connecticut, was summoned for alleged criminal threatening in Bar Harbor.
Officer Formby responded to a suspicious situation complaint in Bar Harbor and warned someone for loud music as a result.
Officers responded to a noise complaint in downtown Bar Harbor and warned a group of people for noise.
Friday, July 18, 2025
Officer Formby warned two people for an unspecified municipal ordinance violation in Bar Harbor.
Officer Torrey assisted the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force with locating a residence in Mount Desert.
Sgt. Sundberg fingerprinted someone at the Bar Harbor Police Department for employment purposes.
Officer T. Cake conducted a keep the peace at a private event in Mount Desert.
A verbal altercation regarding a loose dog was reported in Bar Harbor but resolved itself prior to an officer arriving.
Officer Torrey performed a death notification in Mount Desert on behalf of the Ellsworth Police Department.
Someone made a trespassing complaint regarding a Mount Desert cemetery and wanted it on file.
Stacey Gilfillan, 67, of Bar Harbor, was driving a 2019 Toyota SUV west on Mill Brook Road in Bar Harbor when some type of stinging insect entered the car and Gilfillan allegedly drove the vehicle off the road to the right and struck a tree. There was no reported injury and the vehicle had to be towed due to disabling damage.
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Trevon Miller, 31, of Ellsworth, was arrested by Officer Mora on an active arrest warrant. Miller was also charged with alleged operating without a license, alleged attaching false plates, and alleged failure to register vehicle. Miller was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
The Bar Harbor Police Department received a complaint regarding a vehicle parked on Kebo Street in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer T. Cake responded to a report of a vehicle possibly having engine troubles on Route 3 in Bar Harbor but could not locate any vehicle that appeared to be having engine troubles.
Officer Torrey helped a woman get back into her apartment in Mount Desert.
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Officer Harrington assisted an intoxicated man with getting back into his residence in Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Doug Brundrett responded to a report of a vehicle parked under the bridge near the Acadia National Park Cadillac Mountain Entrance on Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor. The vehicle was gone upon his arrival. The vehicle was actually parked on top of the bridge.
Officer Torrey responded to a complaint regarding a woman with possible mental health issues in Bar Harbor but the woman could not be located.
Officer Kline assisted with traffic for the Bar Harbor Garden Club Garden Tour.
Officer Torrey received a complaint regarding a dog that had barked all through the night in Bar Harbor, patrolled the area, and could not hear a dog barking continuously.
Officer Torrey responded to a dog in a vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor but the vehicle was gone when she arrived.
Sgt. Brundrett assisted the Southwest Harbor Police Department with attempting to locate a wanted person but did not locate the person.
Officer T. Cake responded to an automatic crash notification in Mount Desert and discovered that someone’s phone had fallen off their vehicle and into the roadway where it was found. The phone was taken back to the police station by Officer T. Cake where the owner later retrieved it.
Thomas Saulnier, 52, of Southwest Harbor, was driving a 2022 Dodge Ram south on Route 102 in Mount Desert and allegedly thought that Michael Smith, 76, of Mount Desert, also heading south on Route 102, was going to be making a left-hand turn when he allegedly pulled his 2004 Chevy SUV over towards the left. Saulnier allegedly started to pass on the right and Smith allegedly went back towards the right and both vehicles collided. Saulnier complained of back pain and his truck was towed by D.C. Towing.
As a result of checking on an abandoned 911 call in Bar Harbor, Office J. Cake located an elderly woman who had fallen. The woman’s son had arrived at the location and the woman was not injured.
Sgt. Dickens took a report of suspicious vehicles parked adjacent to Route 3 in Bar Harbor but the vehicles had left.
Sgt. Dickens responded to a vehicle having been driven off the Hall Quarry Road in Mount Desert. The vehicle’s owner had made arrangements to have the vehicle removed.
Sgt. Dickens responded to a report of a suspicious man at a Bar Harbor campground but did not locate the man.
Officers checked on a suspicious activity complaint at a business in Bar Harbor but could not locate anything suspicious.
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Officer J. Cake warned an intoxicated man not to drive his vehicle after finding him sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle in Bar Harbor.
Officer Torrey received a motor vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor and the vehicle was located by the Southwest Harbor Police Department.
Officer Kevin Edgecomb worked a private detail in Northeast Harbor.
Officer T. Cake attempted to contact someone in Bar Harbor for another agency but was unsuccessful.
Officer Burnett worked a private detail on the Upland Road in Mount Desert.
Monday, July 21, 2025
Officer J. Cake warned a man for trespass after he was asked to leave a Bar Harbor business. He was also warned not to drive and offered a ride home due to being intoxicated. Approximately an hour and 15 minutes later, Officer J. Cake arrested the same man, Thomas Maddox, 30, of New Mexico, for alleged operating under the influence. Maddox was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Officer Harrington assisted someone in Bar Harbor who was having trouble with their bicycle.
Alexander Huff, 27, of Burnham, Maine, was driving a vehicle that was not described in the report south on Sargeant Drive in Mount Desert when the vehicle allegedly lost steering and went off the road to the right striking a coping stone. Huff was evaluated by Mount Desert ambulance personnel for dizziness and rib pain but refused transport. The vehicle was towed by Acadia Towing.
MHL Tozier spoke with someone in Bar Harbor about life stressors.
Officer Kline responded to a report of an employee of a Bar Harbor business arguing with a customer. Officer Kline discovered that the argument was mutual and warned the customer for trespass at the request of the business.
MHL Tozier assisted a transient person in Bar Harbor with resources.
Sgt. Dickens assisted the Bar Harbor ambulance on a medical call in Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Dickens gave someone a ride to their vehicle in Bar Harbor.
Officer Kline responded to a report of people swimming in Lower Hadlock Pond in Mount Desert but could not locate anyone swimming.
Officer Kline responded to a speeding motorcycle complaint on Beech Hill Cross Road in Mount Desert but found no motorcycles.
Officer Kline responded to a tree in the roadway complaint in Mount Desert, placed traffic cones around the part that was blocking one lane, and notified the highway department.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Officer Keene gave an intoxicated man who was allegedly causing issues a trespass warning for a Bar Harbor bar and gave the man a ride back to his lodging.
Officer Formby warned four people for unspecified municipal ordinance violations in Bar Harbor.
Officer Keene took a late report of a motor vehicle accident that occurred in Bar Harbor.
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, July 14, 2025
Officer Bradley Russell performed a VIN verification in Southwest Harbor.
Officer Russell served court paperwork to someone in Southwest Harbor.
Officer Russell served court paperwork to someone in Tremont.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Chief John Hall took a report of damage to the Lower Town Dock’s lobster hoist in Southwest Harbor.
Officer Rick Graham responded with the ambulance service to a medical call in Tremont and provided assistance lifting a patient onto the stretcher.
Officer Graham performed a directed speeding patrol in Tremont and observed zero vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit.
Officer Graham responded to a complaint of unattended dogs in a vehicle on Clark Point Road in Southwest Harbor and found the dogs to be fine. The owner of the vehicle returned while Officer Graham was checking on the dogs.
After receiving a report of a possibly intoxicated driver leaving a Tremont business, Officer Graham searched for the described vehicle but could not locate it.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Officer Graham located a juvenile walking on the Tremont Road in the early morning hours, provided the juvenile a ride home, and notified the parents of the juvenile of the encounter.
Someone reported to the Southwest Harbor Police Department that they had some tools taken from their vehicle, but they were not sure in which town the tools were taken.
Officer Kristen Roulet responded to multiple complaints in Tremont regarding a man who was “causing a scene.” The man was gone upon Officer Roulet’s arrival, but witnesses informed officer Roulet of the man’s identity. Officer Roulet will watch for the man in the area of the complaint in the future.
Someone called the Southwest Harbor Police Department to “put some information on the record” regarding speeding in Tremont. Via the department’s weekly press release, Officer Roulet said, “We at Southwest Harbor take this matter serious and have been conducting multiple traffic operations to catch speeders. We will continue to monitor.”
Sgt. Ryan Blakeney received some information from someone in Tremont.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Officer Roulet is investigating a report of possible drug activity occurring at a residence in Tremont.
Friday, July 18, 2025
“The Southwest Harbor Police Department received a walk-in complaint about a possible scam with Publisher’s Clearing House.” Officer Roulet “looked into the matter and in fact sadly confirmed that citizen was not the winner of a new truck or 1 million dollars.”
Officer Roulet responded to a report of a person outside of a Southwest Harbor store who was causing issues and being disorderly. The person was told to the property and did so without issue.
Officer Russell responded to Tremont for a motor vehicle complaint but could not locate the suspect vehicle.
Officer Russell responded to a possible animal complaint in Southwest Harbor but could not locate any animals.
Officer Roulet performed a keep the peace in Southwest Harbor.
Officer Roulet responded to Tremont for a complaint regarding two disorderly people. One of the disorderly people had found a bicycle and turned it in to the police department.
Officer Russell performed a requested well-being check in Tremont and found the person to be fine.
Officer Russell spoke with someone regarding an issue with a juvenile in Southwest Harbor and was able to resolve the situation.
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Officer Graham assisted a Southwest Harbor resident with getting back into their apartment after they had locked themselves out.
Officer Graham visited with some residents of a Southwest Harbor apartment building.
On behalf of another law enforcement agency, Officer Graham checked a Southwest Harbor residence to try and locate someone the other agency was looking for. Officer Graham did not locate the person that was being sought.
Officer Graham assisted Acadia National Park with locating an overdue hiker. The hiker was located at their residence and found to be fine.
Officer Graham spoke with a Southwest Harbor resident, on the phone, about a domestic situation and gave the caller options that are available to them.
Officer Graham responded to a motor vehicle complaint in Southwest Harbor, located the vehicle and stopped it, and found the driver to not be impaired but tired from driving all day.
Officer Graham summoned Alexandra Loftus, 42, of Southwest Harbor, for alleged harassment by telephone or electronic device. Approximately an hour and a half later, Officer Graham arrested Loftus for alleged harassment by telephone or electronic device.
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Officer James Kamorski responded to a motor vehicle complaint in Southwest Harbor, located and stopped the vehicle, and warned the driver for failure to maintain control of their vehicle.
Officer Kamorski assisted the Bar Harbor Police Department with an investigation.
Officer Kamorski assisted a Southwest Harbor resident with getting back into their apartment after they had locked themselves out.
Officer Kamorski responded to a report of a loose dog in Southwest Harbor, located the dog and captured it, and returned it to its owner.
After witnessing a domestic animal issue, Officer Kamorski spoke with the animal’s owner and resolved the issue.
Officer Kamorksi responded to a report of gunshots on the Seawall Road in Southwest Harbor but could not locate the source of the gunshots.
Officer Kamorski responded with the Southwest Harbor Fire Department to a report of a possible wildfire but no fire could be located.
Monday, July 21, 2025
Officer Russell responded to a motor vehicle complaint in Tremont but could not locate the vehicle.
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 Hit and Run Crash in Albion
ALBION—On Friday, July 11, 2025, at approximately 5:12 p.m., troopers from the Central Field Troop responded to a motor vehicle versus pedestrian crash in the area of 60 Hussey Road in Albion. It was reported that one adult and two minor children were struck by a vehicle, and the vehicle fled the scene. The adult victim, 33-year-old Mollie Egold of Albion, was transported from the scene via LifeFlight to the hospital with serious injuries. She remains in critical but stable condition.
One of the minors was also transported via LifeFlight. On July 15, the Maine Department of Public Safety confirmed that the juvenile who was critically injured in the crash in Albion on Friday, July 11, 2025, has died from his injuries.
The second minor was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Through the investigation, troopers were able to identify and locate the vehicle as well as the operator involved. The vehicle was a white 2016 Hyundai Veloster, and the operator was identified as 44-year-old Benjamin Lancaster, of Albion. Lancaster was taken into custody and transported to the Kennebec County Jail on the following charges:
• Operating Under the Influence Causing Death
• Operating Under the Influence Causing Serious Bodily Injury (2 counts)
• Leaving the Scene of an Accident Causing Death
• Leaving the Scene of an Accident Causing Serious Bodily Injury (2 counts)
Troopers are seeking video footage or surveillance that may cover Hussey Road or Main Street in Albion between 5:00 p.m., and 5:15 p.m., on July 11, 2025, involving a white vehicle matching the description above. Anyone with relevant footage or information is encouraged to contact Sgt. Garret Booth at (207) 624-7076.
The Maine State Police were assisted by LifeFlight of Maine, Albion Fire Department, and Delta Ambulance.
Maine State Police Make Arrest in Union Homicide Investigation
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Maine State Police arrested a 17-year-old male from Maine, in connection with the homicide investigation in Union. The juvenile was taken into custody without incident in Union. He was transported to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland.
The arrest is the result of relentless investigative work by Detectives and Investigators with the Maine State Police. The victim, previously identified as 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart, of Tenants Harbor, was located during a search of Crawford Pond in Union on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta confirmed her cause of death as strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Anyone with pertinent information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Maine State Police at (207) 624-7076 or by texting MESPTIP to 847411. This remains an active and ongoing investigation.
Maine Information and Analysis Center Warns Public of Phone Scam Involving Impersonation of Law Enforcement Officers
The Maine Information and Analysis Center (MIAC) is alerting the public to a series of ongoing phone scams involving individuals impersonating law enforcement officers. Since 2024, MIAC has received multiple reports of these incidents, including a recent case in July 2025 involving the Maine State Police.
The impersonators often claim to be current law enforcement officials, sometimes using real names and ranks from agencies such as the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office or the Maine State Police. The caller typically informs the victim of an urgent legal issue, such as a missed court date or outstanding fines, and demands immediate payment to avoid arrest. These claims are entirely false and are being used to scam individuals out of money or personal information.
“These types of scams are dangerous and deceptive,” said Lt. Matt Casavant, Director of MIAC. “We want the public to know that law enforcement will never contact someone by phone to demand payment or threaten arrest over unpaid fines.”
Multiple phone numbers have been used in these scams, and the suspects are currently unknown. Law enforcement agencies across Maine are working together to track these incidents and encourage the public to stay vigilant.
Anyone who believes they’ve been targeted by a similar scam or who has questions should contact the Maine Information and Analysis Center at 207-624-7280 or email miac.msp@maine.gov.
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.
The Following Two Images are Paid Content From The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Thanking Its Sponsors and Partners for Independence Day
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