The handcuffed man who escaped Wednesday night from the back of a Maine State Police cruiser in Chelsea made an initial appearance in court Friday afternoon.

Jason Langdon, 34, was charged in Augusta District Court with failure to give correct name, driving without a license, escape, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, and criminal mischief. He’s being held on a $10,000 bail.

Portland police took Langdon into custody late Thursday night after a man who drove Langdon to a homeless shelter in Portland noticed Langon was wearing cut handcuffs, according to a press release from Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Maine State Trooper Eric Verhille pulled over Langdon and a female passenger at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday for driving 70 mph in a 45 mph zone on Route 9 in Chelsea, according to an affidavit filed in Augusta District Court Friday. After Langdon gave a false name, the trooper arrested and handcuffed Langdon and put him the cruiser, the affidavit said.

While Verhille was talking with the passenger, Langdon escaped from the cruiser, losing a shoe as he fled on foot. State police troopers searched the area with a dog but couldn’t find Langdon.

Later that night, Langdon was reported to be back at the West Gardiner home he gave police as his residence, but he had fled on foot by the time police arrived, according to the affidavit. A search of the area was unsuccessful.

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Langdon was driving a borrowed car with California plates that was later returned to the owner. He had a California ID on him, but he has no permanent address, according to McCausland.

McCausland said he didn’t know if the man who drove Langdon to Portland knew him previously or where the driver picked him up. McCausland also didn’t know how Langdon cut chain links on the handcuffs or if Langdon had found another pair of shoes after losing one of his when escaping from police.

McCausland said it’s possible the driver didn’t see the handcuffs before dropping Langdon off at the shelter because Langdon could have been wearing a long-sleeved shirt.

“That’s the last thing you would probably expect,” McCausland said. “Most people aren’t going to look over to see if your passenger has handcuffs on.”

Langdon also had warrants out for his arrest in two other states: in Colorado for failing to obey a court order and in Florida for drug offenses, McCausland said.


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