Police updates for Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, Tremont, State Police, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
Sep 01, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Witham Family Hotels.
BAR HARBOR—On August 29, 2026, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Gary Cabit, 71, of Maine, was driving a 1970 Chevrolet Corvette north on Route 3 in Bar Harbor when the vehicle left the roadway to the right and struck a ditch.
The impact with the ditch caused the Corvette to go airborne and travel a short distance before hitting the ground again. The two impacts caused severe damage to the Corvette and the investigating officer, Ted Cake of the Bar Harbor Police Department, classified the car as being totaled.
Cabit was transported to the hospital with serious injuries to his chest and face and the passenger was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries to the face and leg.
Officer Cake was notified later that both patients were in stable condition. There were no charges issued.
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 24, 2026
Officer Justin Burnett checked on a vehicle parked on the side of the road in Mount Desert.
Officer Kaleb Payson assisted a motorist with a broken-down vehicle in Mount Desert, but the vehicle had to be towed.
After a dispute regarding a refund for accommodations, Officer Ted Cake conducted a keep the peace at a Bar Harbor lodging. An agreement was worked out between the disgruntled customer and the lodging establishment and a refund issued.
Someone made a complaint regarding an ongoing motor vehicle issue in Mount Desert to Officer Payson.
Officer T. Cake gave someone a ride back to their residence in Bar Harbor on behalf of another agency.
Officer T. Cake performed a requested well-being check on someone in Bar Harbor and found them to be fine and not in need of any resources.
Following a report of potentially unrestrained passengers in a vehicle in Bar Harbor, Officer Liam Harrington located the vehicle and determined that all passengers were wearing seatbelts.
Officer Payson is investigating a theft that was reported in Mount Desert.
Following a well-being check by officers in Bar Harbor, the person being checked on was transported to the hospital.
Sgt. Chris Dickens documented a report of suspicious activity at a Main Street business in Bar Harbor.
Someone reported illegal fireworks being shot off in Bar Harbor, but the fireworks were no longer being shot off when Officer Lukas Keene arrived in the area.
Officer Nathan Formby handled some paperwork in Bar Harbor.
Officer Burnett responded to a stranded vehicle in Mount Desert, but the vehicle was gone when he arrived.
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Officer Formby warned some people for municipal ordinance violations in Bar Harbor.
Someone reported some property damage in Bar Harbor and the report was documented by Officer Payson.
Officer Harrington spoke with someone experiencing a mental health crisis in Bar Harbor.
After a report of a vehicle stuck on the sand bar leading to Bar Island, Officer Harrington responded and found the vehicle to have been freed by other people in the area.
Officer Zack Kline responded to a report of juveniles fighting in a Bar Harbor park but when he arrived, he found no one was at the park and learned after investigating that no fight had taken place.
Following a report of suspicious activity in Mount Desert, Officer Formby patrolled the area and found nothing concerning.
Officer Kline assisted the Bar Harbor ambulance on a medical call in Bar Harbor.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Mental Health Liaison Melissa Gleason spoke with a woman in Bar Harbor who is facing housing insecurity and connected her with resources.
MHL Gleason attempted to follow up with a Bar Harbor resident.
Officer Elias Burne provided an escort in Bar Harbor.
Officer Tim Frost assisted Acadia National Park with traffic control on Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor.
Officer Kline performed a detail for traffic control at a Mount Desert residence.
Sgt. Dickens and Officer Burnett responded to a vessel moored in the Bar Harbor harbor for a report of a disorderly person. The person was escorted back to land with the assistance of the US Coast Guard.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Officer Troy Stanwood responded to a Bar Harbor business for a report of an intoxicated man who would not leave. The man was issued a verbal no trespassing warning and left the business.
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Stanwood arrested Michael Muldrow, 28, of Bar Harbor, for operating under the influence and operating without a license. Muldrow was transported to the Hancock County Jail where he was held on a probation hold.
Officer Frost issued someone in Bar Harbor no trespass warnings for a couple of businesses in Bar Harbor.
Officer Frost served someone in Bar Harbor with a protection order.
MHL Gleason spoke with someone in Bar Harbor about interpersonal family issues.
Sgt. Soren Sundberg performed a vehicle identification number verification for a Bar Harbor business.
Officer Amie Torrey is investigating a report of medical documents being stolen from a Mount Desert residence.
After someone reported a GEM vehicle being driven on the town’s ballfields in Bar Harbor, Officer Frost determined that no damage had been caused and spoke with the driver about possible consequences.
Someone reported a possibly intoxicated person driving a vehicle on West Street in Bar Harbor, but officers could not locate the vehicle.
Officer Torrey responded to a residential burglar alarm in Mount Desert and determined that it was an accidental activation.
A Mount Desert resident found two loose dogs in Northeast Harbor which were returned to their owner.
Friday, August 28, 2026
Following a report of a possible fight on the side of the road in Bar Harbor, Officer Judson Cake responded and determined that no fight had occurred, but someone on a scooter had crashed and injured his face and two other scooters had stopped to assist.
The Bar Harbor Police Department took a complaint of dogs off leash on private property in Bar Harbor.
The Bar Harbor Police Department took a report of stolen firewood in Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Sundberg contacted the owner of a vehicle that was parked in a loading zone in Bar Harbor and they moved the vehicle.
Based on a noise complaint in Mount Desert, Officer T. Cake performed a well-being check on some children and determined that they were fine.
To gather some information, Officer T. Cake met with the parents of a juvenile in Mount Desert after a medical call involving the juvenile.
Following the report of a dump truck running a red light in Mount Desert, officers looked for but failed to locate the truck.
Officer Harrington is investigating a report in Bar Harbor of an employee’s payroll information being changed and their direct deposit going into an account that is not theirs.
Someone reported a vehicle tailgating on Route 3 near the head of the island and heading off island, so the complaint was passed on to the state police who were covering Trenton at the time.
Following a domestic violence related incident, officers went to a Bar Harbor hotel where the suspect, Bobby Allen, 61, of Massachusetts, had fled and arrested him for domestic violence criminal threatening, operating without a license, and driving to endanger.
Officer Kline responded to a verbal domestic in Bar Harbor, separated the people involved, and issued them disorderly conduct warnings.
Sgt. Jerrod Hardy responded to a reported disorderly event on Main Street in Bar Harbor. Nobody involved wanted to press charges.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Keene arrested Bettina Bresinsky, 24, of Ellsworth, for operating under the influence.
Someone reported a loose dog in Mount Desert and at the time of the complaint, the dog was seen going into a business where it was believed that the dog’s owners were located. All officers were busy at the time and no response was made to the call since no other calls were received about the dog.
Officer T. Cake assisted with traffic control after a call regarding someone who fell off of an electric scooter in Bar Harbor.
Following a vandalism complaint in Otter Creek, the caretaker of the property wished for the suspects to receive no trespass warnings for the property. Officer Harrington was able to locate the suspects and issue them the no trespass warnings.
After someone made a report of a person slumped over the wheel of a vehicle in a Bar Harbor business parking lot, Officer T. Cake checked on the person and found that they were napping while waiting for their laundry to be finished.
Officer Harrington responded with the Bar Harbor Fire Department to a medical emergency at a Bar Harbor restaurant.
Officer Harrington took a report of two missing kayaks in Northeast Harbor.
Officer J. Cake and the Bar Harbor Fire Department responded to a report of broken-down bus smoking on the side of the road in Bar Harbor. There was no fire and the bus was towed away.
Officer Formby performed a requested well-being check in Bar Harbor and found the person to be fine.
After the report of a possible domestic altercation at a Bar Harbor hotel, officers responded and found the people involved to be heavily intoxicated but only verbally arguing.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Formby arrested Thomas Zeitler, 26, of Washington, D.C., for operating under the influence. Zeitler was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Someone reported an aggressive driver in Bar Harbor.
Officer Stanwood took a report in Bar Harbor from the victim of a fraud scheme.
Officer T. Cake checked on a reported parking issue in Northeast Harbor and found that the issue had resolved itself by the time he arrived.
Officers responded to a well-being check at a Bar Harbor property and found the person to be checked on deceased. The death did not appear suspicious.
Officer Formby moved an intoxicated person along in Bar Harbor and sent them back to their hotel.
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, August 24, 2026
A mother in Southwest Harbor reported to Officer Eli Brown that during a child custody exchange, the father did not have a child safety seat in his vehicle. The father left his vehicle in a parking lot.
A Southwest Harbor resident reported that there were two solar salesmen on a local roadway. Officer Brown took no action because it is not illegal for salesmen to be on a public way.
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Officer Brown performed security checks on a number of Southwest Harbor businesses and found them to be secure.
Officer Brown performed a security check on a Southwest Harbor business that was not secure and when he pulled on the door handle, the door opened and set off the alarm. The owner was contacted via the alarm company and then contacted the police department.
Officer Bradley Russell spoke with someone from Tremont about an abandoned vehicle that had been left on the complainant’s property and advised them of their options.
Officer Russell assisted another agency by issuing a no trespass warning to someone in Southwest Harbor for a property in the other agency’s jurisdiction.
Officer Russell spoke with someone in Southwest Harbor about what to do with a baby squirrel.
Someone reported a loose dog in Southwest Harbor to Officer Russell. The same person called back and said that the dog’s owner had retrieved it.
Officer Russell tried to locate someone in Tremont who has an active arrest warrant and could not.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Officer Brown assisted the ambulance service with a medical call in Southwest Harbor.
Following the report of a beeping noise that had been going on for hours in Southwest Harbor, Office Brown located a smoke detector in a dumpster and silenced it.
Officer Brown attempted to locate a vehicle in Southwest Harbor that was the subject of a motor vehicle complaint, but the complaint was not made by phone so the vehicle was gone by the time Officer Brown received the complaint.
A juvenile in Southwest Harbor reported a threat of harm unless they sent nude photos via social media and Officer Brown determined that the threat was baseless.
The Bar Harbor Police Department alerted the Southwest Harbor Police Department to a vehicle heading toward Southwest Harbor that had sideswiped a guardrail in Somesville. Officer Brown attempted to locate the vehicle, but it was located by Bar Harbor officers in Southwest Harbor and they completed the investigation with Officer Brown assisting.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Chief John Hall investigated a report from a Tremont resident that his mother was missing. After investigation, it was determined that the caller has dementia and nobody was missing.
Chief Hall performed a well-being check on someone in Tremont and found them to be fine.
The Southwest Harbor Dispatch received a 911 call about a sailboat that had capsized near the Algerine Coast boat launch in Tremont. The two men were rescued by local fishermen.
Friday, August 28, 2026
Following the report of suspicious activity from a vehicle parked on the side of the road in Tremont, Officer Russell responded but was unable to locate the vehicle.
Officer Russell responded to an animal issue complaint in Tremont, but it had been resolved by the time he arrived.
After someone reported an altercation at a Southwest Harbor business, Officer Russell gave two people no trespass warnings for the business.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Sgt. Rick Graham performed a vehicle identification number verification for a Tremont resident.
Sgt. Graham responded to a burglar alarm at a Southwest Harbor business and determined that the alarm had been accidentally set off by an employee.
Sgt. Graham responded to a burglar alarm at a Southwest Harbor business, checked the business, and found no issues.
Following the report of a family argument in Tremont, Sgt. Graham responded. Both people involved had been separated prior to Sgt. Graham’s arrival and neither person wanted anything done about the situation.
Sgt. Graham performed a well-being check on someone in Tremont and found them to be safe and healthy.
Someone reported fireworks in Tremont but the fireworks had stopped prior to Sgt. Graham’s arrival.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Officer Brown performed security checks on two buildings in Tremont and found one of them to not be secure. The management of the building was notified of the situation.
Officer Brown performed a security check on a Southwest Harbor business and found it to be secure.
Due to time constraints, we do not write about car/deer crashes or minor vehicle crashes such as parking lot or parked vehicle/moving vehicle collisions. We do realize that many readers are interested in car/deer collisions, so we will be listing them by town and roadway here.
BAR HARBOR — (1) Location not given.
MOUNT DESERT — (1) Route 102
SOUTHWEST HARBOR — (1) Main Street
TREMONT — None reported.
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.
MDEA, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and Waldoboro Police Department Arrest Man for Assault on an Officer
FRIENDSHIP—For the past several months, MDEA Mid-Coast District Task Force and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office have been conducting a drug investigation in Friendship. This investigation included undercover purchases of Cocaine from Wesley Winchenbach, 48, of Friendship. MDEA obtained a search warrant for Winchenbach’s residence.
In anticipation of executing the search warrant, on August 26, 2026, Agents began conducting surveillance. Agents observed Winchenbach and a male identified as Scott Nason, 48, of Friendship, exit the residence and leave in Winchenbach’s vehicle. Agents had received confirmation that Nason had 4 active arrest warrants for him at that time. Agents and deputies from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office conducted surveillance on the vehicle until it was stopped by a Knox County Lieutenant.
Once they were stopped, Lt. Reginald Walker spoke with them and went back to his vehicle to confirm the warrant per protocol. Winchenbach started to leave and Nason fled from the vehicle. Lt. Walker pursued Nason on foot and subsequently apprehended him. Nason continued to struggle and purposely head butted Lt. Walker in the face. Nason was ultimately secured with the help of other agents. A knife was removed from Nason that he had held in his hand during the struggle with Lt. Walker.
Lt. Walker was attended to by Friendship EMS and Waldoboro EMS at the scene and then transported to Pen Bay Hospital for medical evaluation and was later released with facial injuries.
Winchenbach fled the scene in his vehicle and was followed by MDEA Agents back to his residence where he was detained by Agents.
Agents, Knox County Deputies and troopers from the Maine State Police executed the search warrant at Winchenbach’s residence located at 346 Waldoboro Road in Friendship. The search of the residence revealed 510 grams of Cocaine, 11.3 grams of Crack Cocaine, 27 grams of Methamphetamine, 40 grams of Fentanyl, 81 Ecstasy / MDMA Pills
Winchenbach was transported to Miles Hospital because of his medical issues due to drug use. He will be charged once released from the hospital.
Nason was charged by the Knox County Sheriffs Office with assault on an officer and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, and four arrest warrants for failure to report and violation of conditions of release. Nason was transported to the Knox County Correctional Facility where he was held without bail.
More arrests are anticipated in this case.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The MDEA stands committed to working with all federal, state, county, and local law enforcement partners in order to continue to identify and disrupt drug trafficking organizations who are attempting to distribute illicit drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in the State of Maine.
If you or someone you know suffers from substance, use disorder, please call 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 for a list of resources available in your area.
If you have information about this investigation or the illegal sale of drugs in your community, you are urged to contact the Maine Drug Enforcement office closest to you or by texting MDEA to TIP411 (847411) or by calling the MDEA tip-line at 1-800-452-6457.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigating Fire in St. Albans
ST. ALBANS—The St. Albans Fire Department requested assistance from the Office of State Fire Marshal in determining the origin and cause of a residential structure fire at 71 Denbow Road in St. Albans on August 26, 2026.
Fire personnel reported that the residence was heavily involved in fire when they arrived at the scene shortly before 3 p.m. The home was vacant at the time of the fire; however, investigators learned that lawn care work had been conducted at the property the day before the fire was discovered.
State Fire Marshal Investigators responded to the scene and conducted an examination of the property. Investigators determined that the fire originated on a rear deck area of the residence. The specific cause of the fire remains under investigation. At this time, the fire has been classified as undetermined. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Smoke Alarms Alert Occupants to Kittery House Fire
KITTERY—On Thursday, August 27, 2026, at approximately 1:15 a.m., the Kittery Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 55 Tenney Hill Road in Kittery. Three occupants were inside the residence at the time of the fire and were able to escape safely. One cat died in the fire.
Smoke alarms alerted the occupants to the fire, and a neighbor also knocked on the door to alert those inside. The Kittery Fire Department requested assistance from the Office of State Fire Marshal to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Investigators responded later that morning and determined the fire originated outside the residence in the area of a grill located adjacent to the structure.
Due to the extensive damage and instability of the structure, investigators were unable to determine the exact cause of the fire. The cause has been classified as undetermined.
Three Occupants Escape West Paris House Fire
WEST PARIS—On Friday, August 28, 2026, at approximately 3:41 a.m., the West Paris Fire Department responded to a 911 call reporting a structure fire at 31 Smith Street in West Paris. Three occupants and two dogs were able to safely escape the residence without injury. One cat died in the fire.
At the request of the West Paris Fire Chief, investigators from the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office responded to assist with determining the origin and cause of the fire. Investigators conducted interviews and a scene examination and determined that the fire originated in the basement. The fire was determined to be accidental in nature and was caused by the improper disposal of staining materials, including rags used for wood finishing.
The residence was equipped with smoke alarms, which activated during the fire. The early warning provided by the smoke alarms helped alert the occupants and allowed them to escape safely. The residence sustained extensive damage. The American Red Cross is assisting the affected family with their immediate needs.
State Police Investigating Wrong Way Driver, Head-On Crash on I-295 in Portland
PORTLAND—On Saturday, August 29, 2026, at approximately 7:15 p.m., the Bangor Regional Communications Center took a report of a wrong way driver going northbound in the southbound lanes of I-295 in Portland. Moments later, both the Bangor Regional Communication Center and the Portland Regional Communication Center began taking calls about a head-on crash in the area of Tukey’s Bridge, near exit 8 in Portland.
State Police, Portland Police, and the Portland Fire Department responded to the scene. The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2020 Subaru Outback driven by 88-year-old Ronald Ferguson of Nelson, New Hampshire, mistakenly entered the southbound lanes of I-295, going the wrong way. Shortly after, the Subaru struck a 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse traveling southbound.
Ferguson, his female passenger and the female driver of the Mitsubishi Eclipse, were all transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Two of the Four lanes of I-295 were shut down for just over two hours. The vehicles were towed by Southern Maine Towing and Maietta’s Towing. Maine DOT Safety Patrol assisted on scene. The investigation is ongoing.
Arrest Made in Crystal Fire
CRYSTAL—The State Fire Marshal’s Office has charged a Crystal man in connection with a mobile home fire earlier this week. 25-year-old Walker Craig, of Crystal, was arrested Friday, August 28, 2026, by the Houlton Police Department on an arrest warrant charging him with arson and aggravated criminal mischief. The warrant was issued following an investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office in consultation with the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
State Fire Marshal investigators responded to 713 Crystal Road in Crystal during the early morning hours of Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the request of the Patten Fire Department, which was investigating a small fire at a mobile home. The investigation determined that Craig allegedly attempted to burn down the mobile home he had been renting.
Craig was transported by the Houlton Police Department to the Aroostook County Jail, where he remains in custody. His bail was set at $10,000 cash.
Fire Marshal’s Office Investigating Structure Fire in Lewiston
LEWISTON—On Monday, August 31, 2026, at approximately 7:11 p.m., the Lewiston Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 14 Libby Avenue in Lewiston. The Lewiston Fire Department requested assistance from the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office.
A team of fire investigators responded to the scene and worked throughout the evening and into the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 1, 2026, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire and determine its cause.
The Lewiston Fire Department, Lewiston Police Department, and investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office continue to work together on the investigation. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Additional information will be released as it becomes available and as investigators are able to confirm further details.
Maine State Police Arrest Ohio Man Following I-95 Incident in Hampden
HAMPDEN—On Monday, August 31, 2026, at approximately 3:13 p.m., the Bangor Regional Communications Center received a report of a Toyota Tacoma operating erratically and weaving in and out of traffic near mile marker 163 in Plymouth. A trooper located the vehicle traveling northbound on I-95 in Carmel and initiated a traffic stop near mile marker 173 in Hampden.
During the stop, the trooper spoke with the driver, who became argumentative and initially refused to identify himself. The trooper detected the odor of alcohol and observed an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. A female passenger was also observed with facial injuries. When the trooper asked the driver to exit the vehicle, he refused and then fled the traffic stop at a high rate of speed.
A short time later, the trooper located the Tacoma after it had crashed in the median and came to rest on the southbound side of the interstate across from the Hampden Rest Area. The driver fled the vehicle on foot into the wooded median.
With assistance from a Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team, 33-year-old William Ratliffe, of South Euclid, Ohio, was located hiding in the woods along the interstate and taken into custody. The driver was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital for medical clearance before being taken to the Penobscot County Jail.
Ratliffe was charged with domestic violence reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence assault, OUI refusal, operating without a license, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, and leaving the scene of a property damage crash. Additional charges are possible.
The female passenger was transported to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center for evaluation of her injuries.
Maine State Police was assisted by the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Hampden Police Department, Hampden Fire & EMS, and the Maine Department of Transportation.
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.
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