FALMOUTH

Police charge pastor with domestic violence assault

A pastor has been charged with domestic violence assault following an altercation Sunday night.

Police said they were called to the Gray Road home of Kendall Libby about 11 p.m. for a fight and determined probable cause to charge Libby with domestic assault on his wife. There was no medical treatment required, police said.

Libby started the Grace Church congregation in 2009. It meets at Windham High School, according to the nondenominational church’s website.

GRAY

Thief steals cigarettes after cutting hole in store wall

An industrious thief used a saw to cut a hole in the wooden wall of the Big Apple at 48 Portland Road in Gray and stole thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes.

The store manager arrived shortly after 4 a.m. Monday and found the basketball-sized hole cut in the wall right where the cigarettes are stored behind the counter, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

The thief apparently reached through the hole and stole dozens of cartons of cigarettes, which cost between $55 and $75 each, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators said there have been cigarette thefts in Freeport, Harpswell and Pownal in the past month. Within the past week, someone broke into and stole cigarettes from the Steep Falls Market in Standish.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 774-1444, ext. 2118.

HARPSWELL

Bath man faces more charges of sex abuse of a minor

A Bath man already facing several counts of sexual abuse of a minor for allegedly molesting an underage girl he met on a social media website is now facing additional charges.

Authorities said that 21-year-old Andrew Mank was arrested last week by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department and charged with four additional counts of sexual abuse of minors.

The new charges stem from the investigation launched by Sagadahoc County detectives. That probe determined that Mank allegedly used Facebook and other social networks to meet underage girls.

The new charges involve two victims both younger than 15. Mank knew both alleged victims.
Mank is free on bail.

BALDWIN

Driver who refused to stop for police faces charges

A Baldwin man faces several charges after being pulled over by Maine State Police in Baldwin.

Michael Violette, 40, was spotted driving early Monday by Trooper Chris Farley. When Farley activated his emergency lights, Violette – whose license has been revoked for being a habitual offender – did not pull over, but instead tried to get away, police said.

Eventually, Violette crashed on Pidgeon Brook Road and ran from the scene, police said. A police dog from Windham was brought in to help search for him, and he was found hiding in a shed, police said.

Violette is charged with drunken driving with at least three prior convictions for drunken driving; aggravated driving after being deemed a habitual offender; aggravated driving to endanger; eluding an officer; leaving the scene of an accident with injuries; criminal speed; violating bail conditions, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

He is being held without bail at the Cumberland County Jail pending a court appearance.

CARRABASSETT VALLEY

Falmouth couple survive crash that kills family dog

A Falmouth couple was lucky to survive after their vehicle collided Sunday afternoon with a Jeep on Route 27, killing the Falmouth family’s dog, police said.

The driver of the car, Stephen Carew, 51, and his wife, Lisa Carew, 50, were taken by ambulance to the hospital after the crash, which occurred about 2 p.m., just north of the Kingfield town line.

The Carews’ dog was killed in the crash and the couple was treated at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington and released, Carrabassett Valley Police Chief Scott Nichols Sr. said Monday morning.

The couple was shaken over losing the dog, Nichols said.

The couple were driving south on Route 27 in a line of traffic when multiple cars attempted to simultaneously pass another vehicle, Nichols said.

As the line of cars made the pass on the two-lane highway, the oncoming 2005 Jeep driven by Sarah Hinkley, 46, of Kingfield, swerved onto the shoulder to avoid them. Hinkley then lost control of the Jeep and it veered back into the roadway and struck the Carews’ car, Nichols said.

Hinkley and her passenger, Aaron Hinkley, 27, were both wearing seat belts and were not injured in the crash, Nichols said.

PORTLAND

Average price of gas rises 5.1 cents a gallon in state

A fuel-watching website says average retail gasoline prices in Maine have risen 5.1 cents per gallon in the past week to $3.64 per gallon.

MaineGasPrices.com reported that average prices Sunday were 43.7 cents per gallon higher than they were the same day one year ago, and are 16 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

The national average has increased 12.3 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 34.8 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.

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