PRESQUE ISLE – A New Sharon man is behind bars after a Presque Isle woman reported that he tried to kill her.

Melvin Taylor, 30, formerly of Presque Isle, was tracked down Monday afternoon by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department after fleeing the scene of what police are calling an aggravated assault and kidnapping.

The assault was the latest in a domestic dispute between Taylor and the woman, which included a previous assault charge, according to police.

The woman, 27, a former girlfriend who had been away for the weekend, returned to her house at approximately 6:30 a.m. Monday to let her dog out, according to Sgt. Bill Campbell of the Presque Isle Police Department.

“When she opened the front door to call her dog, Taylor was standing inside,” Campbell said. “He pulled her inside, shut the door and threw her to the ground.”

The suspect reportedly had broken into the residence.

Taylor then allegedly wrapped an extension cord around the woman’s neck and choked her, Campbell said. “She lost consciousness at one point,” he said.

After the woman regained consciousness, Taylor took her outside, police said. The woman began screaming and escaped from her assailant.

“He took off running, and she ran in the opposite direction until she got to a neighbor’s house,” said Campbell.

The woman immediately called the Presque Isle Police Department. Detective Sgt. James Nelson, Sgt. Campbell and Officers Brian McQuarrie, Lynn Hartley and Roger Ellis arrived on the scene. They conducted a search but were unable to locate Taylor.

Local police discovered the make and model of the car Taylor likely was driving and put out a statewide alert for the suspect.

The woman was taken to The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle for treatment of minor injuries and then was released.

Taylor was stopped in Franklin County based on the vehicle information. He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, a Class B crime; kidnapping, a Class A crime; violation of conditions of release, a Class C crime; and burglary, a Class B crime.

The suspect is being held at Franklin County Jail in Farmington and will appear Aug. 19 at the Franklin District Court, according to police.