PHIPPSBURG

Police have charged a man who allegedly struck a 59- year-old Phippsburg woman twice in the head with a cast-iron frying pan Thursday.

Police say James Nields, 54, was renting a room at the Parker Head Road home of the alleged victim where the incident occurred at around 2 p.m.

After striking the woman, police say Nields allegedly dragged the victim by her hair into the kitchen before leaving.

A Topsham K-9 team and the Maine Warden Service — who searched the shoreline via boat — were unable to locate Nields.

Phippsburg officer Zech Thomas spotted Nields emerging from the woods near the victim’s house just before 7:30 p.m.

Nields was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The cast iron pan is a deadly object, Phippsburg Police Chief John Skroski said, which is why Nields was charged with the aggravated assault.

“He admitted to striking the woman over the head with a frying pan and dragging her by the hair,” Skroski said. “He did also admit that he’d been drinking.”

After his arrest, Nields was taken to Mid Coast Hospital for an evaluation before Skroski transported him to Two Bridges Regional Jail.

The victim was taken to Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick where she was treated and released.

The incident apparently stemmed from some sort of disagreement over a dog in the house, Skroski said.

Nields had an outstanding warrant out of West Bath District Court for failure to appear regarding a traffic violation, so bail was not allowed.

He is scheduled to appear in West Bath District Court Sept. 18.

According to Skroski, the Phippsburg police have no bad history with Nields, who hails from western Massachusetts, but has lived in the Popham area for the past four years.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.