Hartland man faces arson charge

HARTLAND – New details emerged Tuesday in the wake of an alleged assault, arson and incident of a barricaded person in Hartland on Monday evening.

Detective Lt. Carl E. Gottardi II said Andrew T. Fox, 31, was arrested and charged with arson, a Class A crime that carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, and domestic assault and domestic violence terrorizing, both Class D crimes, punishable by less than a year in jail.

Fox remained in Somerset County Jail on Tuesday, held on $5,000 cash bail.

Assistant District Attorney James Mitchell will be reviewing the case and further charges may be lodged, Gottardi said.

Although Maine state troopers and Somerset County deputies at the scene would not discuss the incident after Fox’s arrest Monday night, neighbors gathered on Crosby Street were eager to describe the incident as it unfolded.

The neighbors, who included close friends of the Fox family and several who had been evacuated during the fire, told the Bangor Daily News that Fox had been playing croquet with his wife, Lisa Fox, and her 16-year-old son when a fight erupted between the two males because Fox had lost the game. Fox reportedly struck his stepson in the head. The teenager and his mother fled from their home on the dead end, to a nearby neighbor’s house and called police.

The assault was reported at 6:10 p.m., according to police logs, and when Deputy Zachary Logiodice arrived, Andrew Fox locked himself in a bathroom and said he had weapons in his possession, according to Gottardi.

Shortly afterward, the neighbors said, they could hear the smoke alarms going off inside and when several deputies and Maine state troopers arrived, they advanced on the trailer with guns drawn.

The neighbors said they watched as police dragged Fox from behind the mobile home, which he had left on his own, and placed him in handcuffs. He was briefly interviewed by Somerset County Detective Mathew Cunningham before being taken to Somerset County Jail by Logiodice.

Gottardi said that Fox had lit papers on fire inside the residence. Firefighters from St. Albans and Hartland battled the fire, which heavily burned one end of the mobile home. The alleged arson is being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Gottardi issued a press release on the incident late Tuesday morning, more than 16 hours after the incident began. Deputies and troopers at the scene Monday night refused to provide any information about the incident and referred all questions to Gottardi.

On Tuesday morning, Gottardi said that the department has a new policy of not answering press inquiries until a written press release can be created. He said that in several recent cases, deputies gave out information prematurely that affected both the investigation and the department’s ability to prosecute the case.

“We’ve had some problems with deputies releasing information too soon or giving out too much information,” he said. By using a written press release, Gottardi said the department can ensure that all details are accurate and the viability of the case is not compromised.

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