Traffic stop spurs identity crisis

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A Los Angeles man remained in Penobscot County Jail on Tuesday night after insisting to police that he was his brother, even after his brother told police it was a lie.

Brewer police Officer Jeff Gotreau had been driving on North Main Street when he noticed a green Ford Taurus traveling at 55 mph in a 30-mph zone just before noon, Gotreau said. The driver, later identified as Ishmael Harris, 29, of Los Angeles, handed police a license that said he was Merriel Hollins, 26, of Boston. Police asked the passenger to identify himself because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt. He handed police an identification card that said he was Harris, but he was later identified as Hollins.

After checking with dispatch, police were notified that Hollins’ license was under suspension, Gotreau said. So Harris, who police believed was Hollins, was placed under arrest and put into the back of a police cruiser. When Hollins, still posing as Harris, asked police where his brother was going, he was told that he was being taken to jail.

“That’s when he said, ‘I’m Hollins,'” Gotreau said. Harris, however, maintained that he was Hollins. Police were able to prove Harris’ true identity only after comparing his fingerprints to prints on file with the Maine State Bureau of Investigation. Harris’ license also was found to be under suspension, and he was charged with operating a motor vehicle after the suspension of his license and failure to give his correct name or date of birth, and he was summoned to appear in court for speeding. He will appear in 3rd District Court in Bangor today. Hollins was not charged but was given warnings for not wearing a seat belt and for failure to give his correct name.

An Eagle Lake woman staying with a friend in Veazie was charged with animal cruelty after police said she left a 12-week-old beagle puppy out in her car overnight Sunday during subfreezing temperatures.

Alerted by neighbors, Andrew Whitehouse, a Veazie police detective, found the dog at midmorning Monday locked inside the car, shaking. Unable to find Cassandra Shay, the dog’s owner, Whitehouse had a tow truck operator unlock the door. The dog was shaking, unable to get out of the car, and couldn’t stand on its own when it was placed on the ground. Whitehouse could smell feces and vomit inside the car.

Whitehouse learned that temperatures had dipped to 27 degrees F overnight.

Shay, 19, told Whitehouse that she didn’t understand what the problem was as the puppy was an outdoor dog. She added that at several times during the night she went outside, started up the car to warm it up and let the brown-and-white beagle go to the bathroom.

She told Whitehouse that she didn’t bring the dog inside her friend’s home at the Colonial Village apartments because the puppy wasn’t housebroken.

Shay’s car, which had the wrong license plate on it, was towed and the dog placed in the care of the local animal control officer. Shay was charged with cruelty to animals and improperly placed license plates.

A Brewer man’s efforts to avoid a Brewer police officer only attracted more attention to himself, which led to his arrest Tuesday morning.

Brewer police Cpl. Roger Hershey had been driving on North Main Street in Brewer around 1 a.m. Tuesday when he noticed a man walking toward a car parked on Holyoke Street, Brewer police Sgt. Perry Antone said. When the man, later identified as Joel Medina, 19, noticed the police cruiser he immediately turned around and walked away from the car.

When Hershey turned his cruiser around to investigate he saw the car drive a few hundred yards away to a nearby convenience store, and then he saw Medina get out of the car and use a pay phone at the store, Antone said. Hershey found that the license plate on the car had been reported stolen by the Bangor Police Department and instead of being on a blue Chevy Celebrity was on a blue Toyota Corolla.

Medina was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license, illegal attachment of registration plates and receiving stolen property. Medina was taken to Penobscot County Jail and later released on personal recognizance bail after his initial court appearance in 3rd District Court in Bangor, Antone said. He will make his next court appearance Jan. 3.

A 45-year-old Bangor photographer lost nearly $3,000 worth of camera equipment when her car was burglarized Monday evening.

The woman finished taking some pictures at Cascade Park in Bangor and loaded her equipment into her car just before 3:30 p.m. Monday, Bangor police Officer Kevin MacLaren said. After dropping her film off on the Haskell Road, visiting a friend on Broadway and picking up her son from Vine Street School, she returned home and noticed camera equipment missing from her maroon 1996 Jeep Cherokee. Among the missing items were a Nikon SLR N70 35 mm camera, a Cannon Elan 7 35 mm camera with a 28 mm to 80 mm zoom lens, a 28 mm to 200 mm zoom lens, two flashes, 30 rolls of film and a black nylon suitcase on wheels, all valued at $2,940.

A Bangor woman on probation and whose license was suspended was arrested by Veazie police Sunday night after the car she was driving was stopped for having a light out.

Veazie police Officer Ryan Welch stopped the car on Mount Hope Avenue and noticed some other defects on the car, including a bad tire. Inside the car, driver Laurel A. Meyers, 19, and one of her passengers, Justin Gilbert, 20, of Dover-Foxcroft, weren’t wearing seat belts, although two other passengers were.

Further investigation uncovered a small bag of marijuana in Meyers’ right jacket pocket, a marijuana pipe and a nearly empty beer car inside the car. Taken into custody, Meyers was charged with probation violation, driving with a suspended license and displaying a suspended license. She was issued civil summonses for illegal transportation of alcohol by a minor and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She also was summoned for failure to provide proof of insurance, the seat belt violation and having an inadequate tire. Gilbert was summoned for not wearing a seat belt.

Bangor police continued to investigate the theft of a tire from a Bangor Daily News car Tuesday.

The car had been parked at the Irving Mainway, 545 Main St., from 8 p.m. Sunday to 7:30 a.m. Monday, during which time someone jacked up the car, removed a tire valued at $100 and set the car back down on its axle, Bangor police Officer Robert Hutchings Jr. said.

The efforts of Bangor police to arrest a Bangor man resulted in a foot chase though back yards on Walter Street just after 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Police spotted Sean Eberhart, 21, in front of a Hellier Street home and stopped to arrest him on warrants for failure to appear in court for assault, failure to appear in court for violation of bail and failure to appear in court for violation of condition of release. They also wanted to serve him with a protection order, Bangor police Officer Erik Tall said. Eberhart took off running. Officers chased him for nearly four blocks through back yards on Walter Street before Officer Douglas Moore tackled him, Tall said. Eberhart was taken to Penobscot County Jail and later received personal recognizance bail for the warrants. He was not charged for the foot chase. He remained in jail Monday night, however, on a probation hold until he appears in Superior Court at a later date.

A transient man remained in jail Monday evening after he was arrested Sunday for allegedly stealing a car as a woman was packing her things into it Sunday morning in front of 313 State St.

Richard R. Bender, 42, was ordered to pay $100 bail in 3rd District Court on Monday on the charges of burglary to a motor vehicle, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and criminal mischief.

Police are asking people to remember to lock their cars when they are not inside them after several recent car burglaries at area stores.

A 50-year-old Corinth man reported more than $320 worth of items stolen from his car at the Bangor Mall on Sunday afternoon, Officer Rob Angello said. Stolen were a compact disc player, 12 CDs, headphones and a green bag. Police continued to look for suspects in the case on Tuesday.

Bangor police continued to look for a stolen license plate Tuesday that was taken off a red 1992 Toyota Tercel, Bangor police Officer Ed Mercier said. The car had been parked near the intersection of Burleigh Road and Essex Street. The Maine license plate, 5854 JM, was stolen between Nov. 11 and Nov. 24.

– Compiled by NEWS reporters Derek Breton and Doug Kesseli