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

March 1

Local & State Dispatches

From staff and news services

BRUNSWICK

Standoff between police, armed man ends peacefully

Police on Friday morning arrested a Brunswick man who had held police at bay for much of the night using a high-power rifle.

Police arrested Matthew Senecal, 39, of 31 Emerald Lane and charged him with domestic violence, reckless conduct and domestic violence terrorizing, said Brunswick Deputy Police Chief Marc Hagan.

During a domestic dispute late Thursday night, Senecal fired a gun while he was in his garage, Hagan said. The bullet entered a bedroom above the garage, but nobody was in the room at the time, he said.

Before police arrived, Senecal's wife and two young children fled the home and ran to a neighbor's house, Hagan said.

The standoff began after midnight and was resolved at 5:37 a.m., when Senecal surrendered peacefully. Hagan said police negotiators had called Senecal on his cellphone and asked him to come out of the house.

Collinsbrook Road and Emerald Lane were closed to traffic during the standoff. Police used reverse 911 to alert residents within a half-mile of the standoff and ask them to stay away from their windows.

ALFRED

Suspect in motel rape, death pleads not guilty to murder

A Portland man who is charged with raping and killing a woman at the Sunrise Motel in Saco last fall pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Friday.

Lebon Bruno entered the plea in York County Superior Court.

Bruno, 39, was arrested in Lewiston on Nov. 17, two weeks after the housekeeping staff at the Sunrise Motel found Elizabeth Williams, 55, of Portland, unconscious, bloodied and bruised.

Williams died a day later on Nov. 4 at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

The motel room where Williams was found was rented to Bruno and "red-brown staining" on Bruno's body and clothes contained DNA matching her blood and his, authorities said.

SANFORD

Springvale man arrested on cocaine trafficking charges

A Springvale man was arrested Thursday by Maine Drug Enforcement agents and Sanford police on two charges of aggravated trafficking in cocaine.

David Lingenfelter, 46, was arrested without incident in a social club around 4 p.m., according to police.

Lingenfelter is connected to another cocaine arrest from last November that also involved Michael Frechette, 45, of Sanford. Peter Mador, an MDEA supervisor, said the two men have been working together for several months to sell cocaine in York County.

Lingenfelter was held in York County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Frechette is free on bail from his arrest in November.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.

Former school employee accused of online sex crimes

New Hampshire police records say a former Portsmouth school district technology department employee used a computer to try to lure a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Kenneth Kimber, 34, of Portsmouth, was also the head coach of the boys' varsity basketball team at Noble High School in Berwick. He was fired from both jobs last month. He is facing a variety of charges.

The Portsmouth Herald cited a police complaint that alleges Kimber sent sexually explicit photos of himself to the girl on Feb. 4 and Feb. 9. He's also alleged to have contacted her via social media and invited her to have sex. All are felonies.

Kimber is free on bail. He's scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Portsmouth. It's not clear if he has an attorney.

Police say the case remains under investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

BANGOR

DEA agents in Maine had role in nabbing trafficking inmate

An inmate in a California prison has been convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine.

Authorities said Friday that Mark Razo, 23, also was convicted of using a telephone to commit a federal drug felony, following a five-day jury trial in Bangor.

(Continued on page 2)

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