James Fowler appears by Zoom video feed for his arraignment in Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland on Wednesday. Fowler is charged in the death of Robert Seger in Westbrook in November. Standing in the foreground is Randall Bates, attorney for the day who was assisting Fowler at the hearing. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

A Westbrook man was arrested Tuesday evening for allegedly killing his roommate after an argument, police announced Wednesday.

James Fowler, 47, called 911 on the night of Nov. 21 to report a medical emergency at his home on Lamb Street. Westbrook police found 59-year-old Robert Seger in his bedroom. He had suffered multiple blunt force injuries and was brought to the hospital where he later died, according to Maine State Police.

Fowler told police that the two had an argument, then Fowler left and came back to find Seger unresponsive. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner found that the blunt force injuries were the cause of his death and the manner of death was homicide.

The Westbrook Police Department and Maine State Police investigated Seger’s death and obtained an arrest warrant for Fowler. He was arrested at his home on Tuesday around 7:35 p.m. for depraved indifference murder and brought to the Cumberland County Jail. If he is found guilty, Fowler could be sentenced from 25 years to life in prison.

On Wednesday afternoon, neighbors said Seger was a quiet man who kept to himself while Fowler could be disruptive and often attracted police to the house and had public fights.

Two neighbors, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, said about two years ago Fowler was fighting with a woman outside the building. They heard the woman yell “help,” and when one of them went outside Fowler yelled and threatened to fight them.

They said Fowler has been a consistently disruptive presence in the area, so many neighbors suspected he was involved when investigators arrived.

“When all that kicked off, we were not surprised that he was at the focal point of that,” the neighbor said.

Fowler briefly appeared in Cumberland County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon, attending via Zoom. Because he hasn’t yet been indicted by a grand jury, he didn’t have to enter a plea.

His bail was set at $300,000 cash, but he’s allowed to challenge that later. If he posts bail, he’s barred from leaving the state and from contacting certain people.

Superior Justice Deborah Cashman said in court there weren’t attorneys available to permanently take on Fowler’s murder case Wednesday, but she hoped to have one later this week. He was temporarily represented by Randall Bates.

Assistant Attorney General Suzanne Russell said in court Fowler has a criminal recording spanning several decades, from 1998 to this year. That includes a number of violated protection orders, domestic violence assaults and violating the conditions of his release, according to a background check through the Maine Bureau of Investigation.

At one point Russell said Fowler was a caretaker for an “intellectually challenged victim” and that court records show a “pattern of abuse that is witnessed by other people.”

A courthouse clerk said that records detailing the reason for his arrest were impounded on Wednesday afternoon.