Auburn man charged with sexual assault
GARDINER (AP) — A former Gardiner man charged with sexually assaulting a child 15 years ago is heading to court.
Police say 55-year-old Benjamin Thomas Brazier, now of Auburn, is expected to make his first court appearance today following his arrest Monday on a charge of gross sexual assault. He is being held on $25,000 cash bail.
Gardiner Police Chief James Toman tells the Kennebec Journal charges against Brazier date to an alleged assault on a young boy that occurred in 2000.
Toman says Brazier made bail in 2005 and then “became a ghost.”
He remained at large for 10 years until last month when sheriff ’s deputies in Penobscot County arrested him on an unrelated charge.
Police release video anti-Muslim vandal
PORTLAND (AP) — Police have released video of a suspect who spray painted offensive graffiti on a Portland store that caters to a largely Muslim clientele.
Police on Tuesday released security video showing a person in a hooded sweatshirt spray painting graffiti on the Portland Halaal Market, hoping the images will generate tips.
The graffiti, discovered Sunday, made an offensive reference to Allah and police have characterized the vandalism as a hate crime.
The video does not show the perpetrator’s face clearly, but does show someone walking up to the wall, spraying paint on it, then walking away.
The Portland Press Herald reports that Mayor Michael Brennan said in a statement that the city is “disappointed and distressed.”
4 people arrested after drugs found
DEDHAM (AP) — Four people have been arrested after police responding to a complaint of noise found tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of the drug known as bath salts, smaller amounts of heroin and methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and two rifles at a Dedham home.
The homeowner, identified as 57-year-old Thomas White, was out on bail and the home as subject to search.
The three-quarters of a pound of bath salts recovered from the home during the search Tuesday had an estimated street value of $68,000.
White is charged with drug trafficking. Two other people in the home, Tami Hayes, of Danforth, and Bryon Shedd, of Bangor, were charged with possessing bath salts.
Man charged with stealing 5 guns
EAGLE LAKE (AP) — Police have charged a Waldo County man in connection with the theft of five guns from an Aroostook County residence.
Police say they responded to an Eagle Lake residence on Tuesday where a homeowner reported a building he owned had been broken into and five firearms stolen.
The homeowner thought that the theft had occurred within the past two weeks.
The investigation led to the Waldo County town of Palermo where 22-year-old Anthony Hawkins was arrested by Maine state troopers.
All five guns — four handguns and an AK-47 — were recovered.
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