A Bangor man wanted on warrants and for a domestic disturbance fled from police down a fire escape early Thursday. But his freedom didn’t last long, as a police officer cornered him in a convenience store a short time later.

Gary Newell, 35, was wanted by police for assaulting a woman at a First Street residence about 3 a.m. Thursday. Also wanted on two warrants, Newell was gone by the time the police arrived, reported Bangor police Officer Dennis Townsend.

Later Thursday, authorities were told Newell was in a third-floor apartment on Cedar Street, but Newell fled from Officer Kevin MacLaren, heading down a fire escape. MacLaren spotted Newell running along Fourth Street and then found him at Leadbetters Mini Stop at the corner of Hammond and Ohio streets.

In addition to the assault charge, Newell was charged with failure to give a correct name to a police officer, after MacLaren said Newell repeatedly claimed to be someone else.

It was a case of mistaken identity Thursday that ended with a motorist facing charges he might not otherwise have faced.

Holden police Officer Chris Greeley said he stopped a 1982 Ford pickup truck Thursday afternoon thinking it was being driven by its sole registered owner, a woman whose license is suspended.

The driver turned out to be the owner’s boyfriend, David Herrick, 39, of Newport. Since Herrick wasn’t the owner and had a Connecticut license, Greeley had the man step out of the truck and, as part of safety precautions, patted him down and searched him.

Greeley said he found a knife and a metal marijuana pipe in the man’s pants pocket and a small bag of marijuana in Herrick’s coat pocket. Herrick was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

– Compiled by BDN reporter Doug Kesseli