Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police department’s Weekly Press release
Aug 20, 2025
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BAR HARBOR—A small brush fire at the Mt. Desert Narrows Campground on Monday, August 11, caused a heated response from both the Bar Harbor Fire Department and the town’s police department due to the recent dry conditions and elevated fire dangers.
According to the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department, just after 10 a.m., someone called in a small brush fire at 1219 Route 3, the Mt. Desert Narrows Campground.
The fire was located near the western end of the property where the roads are unpaved and narrow, but fire apparatus was able to drive to the fire location. Firefighters quickly extinguished any flames and made sure that the ground was saturated prior to leaving.
Fire Chief Matt Bartlett said that they had not determined an exact cause of the fire but thought that it most likely an improperly extinguished campfire.
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, August 11, 2025
Following an automobile stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Nathan Formby arrested Rhett Munson, 28, of Mine Hill, New Jersey, for operating under the influence. Munson was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Officer Lukas Keene gave someone a ride to their residence in Bar Harbor.
Officer Kaleb Payson assisted the Mount Desert Fire Department at the scene of a fire alarm in Mount Desert.
Some goats were trespassing in Mount Desert and Officer Amie Torrey assisted with getting the goats back home.
Officer Ted Cake handled a loose dog complaint in Bar Harbor.
The Bar Harbor Police Department received a motor vehicle complaint but all officers were busy on another call.
Sgt. Doug Brundrett and Officer O’Neil investigated a trespassing complaint at a business on Route 3 in Bar Harbor, issued a man with a trespass warning and escorted him off the property.
Officer Torrey responded to a complaint of construction equipment driving on a Mount Desert roadway and found that the equipment was being legally driven.
Officer T. Cake received a complaint of large rocks in the road near the intersection of Eagle Lake Road and Cromwell Harbor Road in Bar Harbor. The Bar Harbor Highway Department removed the rocks.
Officer T. Cake responded to a loose dog complaint in Bar Harbor but could not locate the dog.
Officer Torrey received a complaint about issues in the men’s bathroom at the Northeast Harbor marina.
A sign was blocking the roadway in Mount Desert and Officer Torrey had an employee move the sign.
While responding to a residential burglar alarm in Mount Desert, Officer Torrey was told she could disregard the alarm.
The Mount Desert Police Department received a motor vehicle complaint but no officers were available to take the call.
Officer O’Neil received information from someone in Bar Harbor.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Keene arrested Jackson Pinnow, 26, of Florida, for operating under the influence, violation of conditions of release, and operating after suspension.
Officer Keene removed a woman from Town of Bar Harbor property for violating the overnight camping ordinance.
Officer Payson assisted the Mount Desert Fire Department on a medical call in Mount Desert.
Officer T. Cake responded to a loose dog complaint in Bar Harbor, saw the dog walking home, and made contact with the dog’s owner to make them aware of the complaint.
Officer T. Cake responded to another loose dog complaint in Bar Harbor, located the dog and got it home, and made contact with the dog’s owner to make them aware of the complaint.
Dani McCullagh, 37, of Groton, Massachusetts, was driving a 2021 Subaru Ascent north on Maple Lane in Northeast Harbor and allegedly failed to yield the right of way to Charles Borda, 37, of West Orange, New Jersey, who was driving a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan west on the Neighborhood Road. McCullagh’s vehicle struck Borda’s vehicle in the driver’s side. Both drivers were evaluated by medical personnel at the scene but refused transport to the hospital. Both vehicles sustained disabling damage and had to be towed from the scene.
Officer T. Cake received a delayed report of a disorderly man in Bar Harbor, checked the area where the man was last seen, but could not locate the man.
Someone reported a suspicious man leaning over a vehicle in Mount Desert. Officer T. Cake checked the area of the reported suspicious behavior but could not locate anything suspicious.
Officer Torrey fingerprinted a man at the Bar Harbor Police Department for a visa.
Following a report of an active domestic assault in Bar Harbor and a subsequent investigation, Samuel L. Francisco, 40, of Bar Harbor, was arrested by Officer Torrey for domestic violence assault and obstructing report of a crime or injury. Francisco was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Someone reported a possible domestic incident in Bar Harbor and Officer T. Cake responded and determined that no assault had occurred.
Officers responded to a report of a missing child in Northeast Harbor, but the child was located while the dispatcher was still speaking with the caller.
Cynthia Murray, no age given, of Abbott, Maine, was driving a 2016 Subaru east on Bartlett’s Landing Road in Mount Desert when she allegedly crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a 2017 Chrysler minivan that was being driven by Ellen Bernard, no age given, of Harrisville, New Hampshire. There was no reported injury. Murray’s vehicle was towed from the scene and Murray was charged with operating under the influence.
Officer Keene performed a requested well-being check in Bar Harbor and found the person being checked on to be safe and with no concerns.
Officer Payson responded to a barking dog complaint in Bar Harbor but could not locate a barking dog in the reported area.
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Officer Payson assisted someone in Bar Harbor with getting back into their residence after they had become locked out.
After receiving a report of a stop sign having been moved to the middle of the road in Northeast Harbor, Officer Justin Burnett responded and found the sign to be placed in its “proper and legal position.”
Officer Burnett responded to a complaint of construction vehicles parked along the side of the road on Harborside Road in Northeast Harbor creating a road hazard. Officer Burnett found the vehicles to be parked off the road and with safety precautions in place.
Officer Caleb Mora dispatched and disposed of an injured deer in Mount Desert.
Someone reported a lost dinghy in Bar Harbor, but it was soon located.
Someone requested a well-being check on a woman in Bar Harbor. Officer Formby performed the well-being check and the woman was subsequently transported to MDI Hospital by ambulance.
Officer Elias Burne performed a well-being check in Mount Desert and found the person being checked on to be fine.
Officer Keene passed some information on to someone in Bar Harbor.
Officer Formby performed a keep the peace while someone collected personal belongings in Bar Harbor pursuant to an agreement with the court.
Officer Keene gave a woman a ride back to her residence in Bar Harbor from the hospital.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Keene arrested David Conaway, 26, of Bangor, for operating under the influence and operating without a license.
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Formby arrested Codie Donlon, 29, of Bar Harbor, for violation of conditions of release and criminal mischief. Donlon was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Officer Mora took a report in Bar Harbor of a bank account being opened to impersonate another entity. There was no local victim and the involved parties were notified of the event.
Sgt. Soren Sundberg is investigating reported trespassing by animals in Mount Desert.
Officer Burnett performed a well-being check on someone in Bar Harbor and they were found to be well.
Officer Payson conducted a private detail in Mount Desert.
Officer Mora conducted traffic control at a private event in Mount Desert.
Officer Judson Cake assisted the Bangor Police Department by making contact with someone in Bar Harbor who had been involved in a crash in Bangor and left the scene.
Friday, August 15, 2025
Officer Formby collected contact information for someone in Bar Harbor at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Officer Formby handled a parking enforcement issue in Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Sundberg issued someone in Mount Desert a written trespass warning for their animals who are leaving their owner’s property on an ongoing basis.
Officer Torrey received a parking complaint for a parking lot in Mount Desert. The parking lot is private property and the owner will work on a solution.
Officer Burne spoke with a Bar Harbor resident about a civil issue.
Officer Burne investigated a protection order violation in Bar Harbor which resulted in Joseph DeBeck, 28, of Ellsworth, being located and arrested by the Ellsworth Police Department and transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Officer Torrey received a request to try and locate a woman who had been seen several times in Mount Desert. No further information or disposition was given.
Sgt. Jerrod Hardy fingerprinted someone in Bar Harbor for a criminal investigation.
Officer Payson assisted the Bar Harbor Fire Department.
Someone made a motor vehicle complaint in Bar Harbor but also stated that the vehicle had already pulled off the roadway at the time of the complaint.
After responding to a disorderly situation in Bar Harbor, Officer Payson warned two men for disorderly conduct and sent them “to bed for the night.”
Saturday, August 16, 2025
Officer Torrey received a trespassing complaint from a Mount Desert business.
Sgt. Brundrett investigated a reported mailbox theft in Bar Harbor, located the mailbox, and returned it to its owner. No charges were filed.
Officer Torrey located a woman missing from Illinois in Mount Desert, determined that she was fine, and notified the investigating agency.
Officer Payson received information in Mount Desert.
Officer Payson received a motor vehicle complaint in Mount Desert but was out of position to intercept the suspect vehicle.
Officer J. Cake spoke with a woman in Bar Harbor about some mental health concerns.
Officer Payson responded to a suspicious complaint in Mount Desert regarding a woman yelling. He was unable to locate anyone yelling.
Officer J. Cake is investigating a hit and run incident in Bar Harbor in which the driver of the offending vehicle was allegedly intoxicated.
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Officer Burne assisted another agency by providing a ride to a Bar Harbor resident.
Someone brought two loose dogs to the Mount Desert Police Department. The owner was contacted and retrieved the dogs.
Officer J. Cake met with someone in Mount Desert who wanted “some police information.”
A visitor from another country called the Bar Harbor Police Department to say that the battery in his rental car was dead and his vehicle was at Ells Pier in Bar Harbor. He was advised to call the rental car company. A short time later the man called back and said that his vehicle was in the roadway and was blocking traffic. Sgt. Brundrett and Officer Liam Harrington went to assist the man and discovered that his vehicle was actually out of gas. With the assistance of Harbormaster Assistant Jimi Differ, they were able to get a small amount of fuel in the man’s car and get him to a local gas station.
A Bar Harbor resident reported receiving harassing communication from a neighbor regarding a dispute of the custody of a cat.
David Gagne, 58, of Bath, was driving a 2021 Chevy Silverado east on Cromwell Harbor Road in Bar Harbor when a large tree fell onto the truck causing front-end damage but no injury.
Sgt. Chris Dickens and Officer Burnett assisted the Bar Harbor Fire Department with a medical call on Route 3 in Bar Harbor.
Officer Burne tried to find the source of a reported boat horn going off on a residential street in Bar Harbor but could not locate any noise.
Monday, August 18, 2025
Officer Torrey spoke with a woman in Bar Harbor regarding a civil issue.
Officer Mora took a report of abandoned property in Bar Harbor and tasked the landowner with cleaning it up if necessary.
Officer Troy Stanwood was on his way to do a requested well-being check in Otter Creek when the requesting party called back and said that they had made contact with the other party and wished to cancel the check.
Officer Mora responded to a complaint of a vehicle parked on private property in Mount Desert, but the vehicle was gone when he arrived.
Officer Torrey spoke with a woman on the phone about issue with her parents in Bar Harbor.
Officer Torrey received a protection from abuse order to be served but the person to be served now lives in Ellsworth.
Officer Mora performed traffic control for a private event in Northeast Harbor.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Officer Stanwood responded to a parking complaint on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor.
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