Madawaska police seeking public’s help

MADAWASKA – The Madawaska Police Department is looking for public assistance in finding evidence involved in an armed robbery that took place March 24 at a local apartment.

Local police are looking for a revolver, a money pouch, a wallet and a brown jacket, according to Police Chief Ronald Pelletier. The gun is believed to be loaded, Pelletier said.

The items were pieces of evidence that police expected to find in a car seized from a man charged with armed robbery and aggravated reckless conduct with a firearm.

“We want this for evidence, but we are also concerned for public safety,” Pelletier said Tuesday morning. “We believe the gun, which was used in an armed robbery, may be loaded.

“We expected to find these items in the car seized after an arrest,” he said. “The weapons could be anywhere from Eleventh Avenue in Madawaska to Winterville.”

A Washburn man, Eugene Allen Jr., 31, appeared on the two charges last Friday in District Court in Presque Isle. He was arrested about 90 minutes after an armed robbery was reported in Madawaska.

According to police, Allen allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint in a Main Street apartment, tied him up with duct tape, and shot in the direction of a second man who was following him while he was making his escape by car on Eleventh Avenue in Madawaska.

Allen allegedly entered an apartment house at the rear of Tang’s Palace at 395 Main St., where several employees of the Chinese restaurant live, and robbed one man who had been sleeping. Money and other items were taken.

Greg Duplessis of Grand Isle tried to stop the robber, but changed his mind when the robber aimed a revolver at him. Duplessis was shot at a few minutes later while following the suspect in a car.

About 90 minutes after the 1:45 p.m. incident, Allen was stopped and arrested by Maine State Police Trooper Corey Hafford while he was traveling south on Route 11 in Winterville.