SPRINGVALE — A judge has set bail for a Waterboro man held on a series of misdemeanor charges to $750  and increased his bail stemming form another charge by another $750.

An an appearance Monday at Springvale District Court, Vincent Cole, 28, was charged with four misdemeanors including refusal to submit to arrest, driving to endanger, failure to stop for an officer and violating condition of release after he allegedly fled from York County Sheriff’s Office deputies Sunday night. The sheriff’s office had also charged Cole with endangering the welfare of a child and operating after suspension, but those charges did not move forward at Monday’s court hearing.

In addition to the bail set on the misdemeanor charges, Judge Andrew Janelle on Monday increased Cole’s $5,000 cash bail on a prior elevated aggravated assault charge by $750 — Cole was charged in July with stabbing a man in what police called an unprovoked attack.

The misdemeanors stem from an incident that began around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, when York County Sheriff deputies responded to Orchard Drive in Waterboro for a report of a disturbance.

York County Sheriff William King said Cole had allegedly been involved in a domestic disturbance with his girlfriend. He was not at the home when deputies arrived around 8:20 p.m.

The sheriff said deputies knew that Cole was out on bail with a number of conditions from his previous arrest, including that he abide by an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.

Deputies found Cole around 9:15 p.m. but when they tried to stop him, he allegedly sped up and took a series of abrupt turns. As he approached his house, King said Cole opened his door and jumped out of the moving vehicle. The vehicle crashed into some debris and came to a stop when it struck a boulder. According to the sheriff, Cole ran into his house with deputies in close pursuit.  

Cole did not comply with orders to submit to arrest but advanced toward a deputy, King said. The deputy drew his stun gun and again ordered Cole to submit. Instead, Cole allegedly grabbed a small child (believed to be his daughter) and used her as a shield, the sheriff said in a news release. The child’s mother retrieved the child from Cole and he then submitted to arrest.

A copy of the sheriff office’s report will be forwarded to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services for review and follow up.

Appearing in court by video link from the jail, Cole pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanors, and denied that he had violated the terms of his prior release.

The attorney who represented Cole at the bail hearing, Chris Guillory, said Cole had left the residence to cool off Sunday night.

He said his client made a poor choice by failing to pull over. When deputies caught up with Cole at the home, Cole told his attorney that he knew he was going to jail and so tried to hug his daughter.

Cole last month was charged with elevated aggravated assault and two other assault charges after he allegedly stabbed a man with a knife and hit others with an aluminum baseball bat after being asked to leave a party. 

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected]. Associate Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324.