Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

July 6, 2012

Dispatches

Video from WGME-TV 11 p.m. Thursday newscast

From staff and news services

SOUTH PORTLAND

Police say woman wearing Yankees hat robbed bank

Police are looking for a woman in her early to mid-20s who allegedly robbed a bank near the Maine Mall on Thursday night.

Police said a white or Hispanic woman entered the TD Bank on Maine Mall Road at 7 p.m. and robbed the teller. No weapon was shown, but the woman implied that she had one, police said.

The woman left with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police say she got into the passenger side of white SUV parked near Friendly's Ice Cream and was driven away.

The woman was last seen wearing a New York Yankees baseball hat, a gray hooded sweatshirt with GAP written on it, and jeans. She is described as being about 5 feet 2 inches tall, with dark hair and a medium build.

Anyone who may have seen the woman is asked to contact Detective Chris Todd at 799-5511, extension 7448.

SCARBOROUGH

Woman calls 911, rescued after kayak flips in river

A woman whose kayak overturned in the Scarborough River Thursday was rescued after she called for help using her cell phone.

A dispatcher said the woman's kayak got caught in a strong current at around 4:30 p.m. and became pinned against a support for the train trestle used by the Amtrak Downeaster. The current flipped the kayak, but the woman clung to the bridge and used her cell phone to call rescuers.

The woman, whose name was not immediately available, hung on to the support for about 15 minutes until fire crews in two rescue boats reached her. She sustained no injuries and was released at the scene.

CUMBERLAND

Motorcyclist crashes on I-295, is listed in critical condition

A 40-year-old Windham man is in critical condition after crashing Thursday while riding his motorcycle on Interstate 295.

Thomas Thompson was riding his Harley-Davidson in the southbound passing lane at mile 13 in Cumberland when he tried to pass another vehicle by pulling into the travel lane, said Trooper Doug Cropper.

Preliminary investigation indicates Thompson was traveling 74 to 78 mph when he lost control. The motorcycle slid onto its side, he was thrown and the motorcycle went another 408 feet before stopping.

Thompson was not wearing a helmet and suffered severe head injuries, Cropper said. He was taken to Maine Medical Center.

No vehicles were involved in the crash, which closed part of the road for about an hour.

CASCO

Man dies after fighting fire in the garage at his home

Firefighters say a homeowner collapsed and died while trying to extinguish a fire in his garage.

Sgt. Joel Davis of the state Fire Marshal's Office said Paul Soutera, 63, died Thursday morning from an apparent heart attack.

Davis said Soutera dialed 911 when the fire broke out, then woke his wife before going to the garage to try to douse the flames. His wife found him on the front lawn, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Fire Chief Jason Moen said the garage was connected to the home and the garage was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

PORTLAND

Suspect deemed a juvenile detained after new hearing

A sexual-assault suspect who was deemed a juvenile by a judge appeared at a detention hearing Thursday.

Mohammed Mukhtar initially was charged as an adult with gross sexual assault, burglary and other offenses in a May attack on a 50-year-old woman in an apartment on High Street. The defense argued that he was 17, not 18 as records indicated, because his actual birth date was later than the Jan. 1 date that U.S. government officials often assign Somali refugees.

(Continued on page 2)

Tweet