AUGUSTA

A Bath man is accused of burglarizing the main lodge of a youth camp in Belgrade apparently at random and while heavily intoxicated and shirtless.

Cody Schooley, who turns 24 on Tuesday, was arrested Saturday night and brought to the Kennebec County jail.

He is charged with burglary and criminal mischief at Camp Runoia, where a staff member confronted him after he came into a building there. The camp, which has 200 campers at a time, was between sessions, so no campers were on the premises, said the owner, Pamela Cobb Heuburger on Monday.

An affidavit by Maine State Police Trooper Jacob Roddy said the shirtless intruder was reported at 7:38 p.m., and Roddy located him nearby on McHugh Lane.

Roddy said Schooley “was impaired and he smelled strongly of intoxicating beverages,” and did not know where he was.

Schooley also told the trooper “he did not mean to trespass or offend anyone.”

“It appears to be a random incident,” Cobb Heuburger said. “Nothing like that has happened before.”

Camp Runoia, which started in 1907, is in its 112th season. “The safety of our campers is paramount,” said Cobb Heuburger, who added that there was no significant damage done to personal property.

She said papers were strewn around and pictures were removed from the wall.

“We were fortunate,” she said. “We were able to sort it all out; it took a little bit of time.” The camp itself was all ready to greet the second session of campers on Sunday.

Cobb Heuburger also said she was grateful for such a swift response time by police. “Two separate troopers were here within minutes,” she said.

Schooley made an initial appearance on the charges Monday at the Capital Judicial Center via video from the jail next door. Judge Matthew Tice told Schooley he would not ask him to enter pleas since the burglary was a felony charge that would be considered by the grand jury.

Roddy’s affidavit also says that Schooley said that “he did not steal anything and he did not intend to offend anyone,” and thought he was in his friend’s house. Schooley also asked the trooper to apologize for him to the people at the camp.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Coleman initially requested bail be set at $500 cash with a Maine Pretrial Services contract and a curfew of 8 p.m.-6 a.m. with a ban on Schooley returning to the camp property.

Attorney Jonathan Handelman, representing Schooley as lawyer of the day, said there was no objections to conditions, but that Schooley could afford only $250 cash.

Coleman agreed to that amount, which Tice imposed.

Handelman also said Schooley apparently is wanted on a warrant charging him with failure to appear in Sagadahoc County on a misdemeanor theft charge, so it was unclear whether he would transported there for a hearing.

Schooley is next due in Kennebec County court on Oct. 2.

Handelman told the judge that Schooley didn’t have a ride to West Bath and called the court and then there was a snow day.

Betty Adams — (207) 621-5631 badams@centralmaine.com Twitter: @betadams

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