A 29-year-old Litchfield man employed as a lifeguard by the Bath YMCA was charged by police Friday with possessing child pornography.

Ethan Francine was charged Friday afternoon after investigators with the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit seized computers from his home and reported they contained sexually explicit images of children under age 12, according to a press release from Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.

Francine posted $2,000 bail and has a May 16 court hearing on the charge of possession of sexually explicit materials.

McCausland’s release says Francine works at the Bath YMCA pool at the Brunswick Landing.

Condition of bail prohibit Francine from having digital media devices that access the Internet and from contact with children under 16. Francine was given a court date of May 16.

IN CANAAN, Friday at 11:36 a.m., a complaint about trespassing was investigated on Main Street.

12:37 p.m., a reported disturbance was investigated on Main Street.

IN CLINTON, Friday at 10:05 a.m., a reported burglary was investigated on Battle Ridge Road.

5:37 p.m., a structure fire was reported on Spring Street.

IN FAIRFIELD, Friday at 2:41 p.m., a structure fire was extinguished on Green Road.

IN FARMINGTON, Friday at 12:10 p.m., a fraud complaint was reported on Middle Street.

9:04 p.m., a fire was reported on Wilton Road.

IN HARTLAND, Friday at 2:53 p.m., a reported burglary was investigated on Libby Street.

IN MADISON, Friday at 10:45 a.m., a reported assault was investigated on Main Street.

2:28 p.m., a scam complaint was investigated on Thomas Street.

11:32 p.m., a reported auto theft was investigated on White School House Road.

IN MERCER, Friday at 12:19 p.m., a traffic accident was investigated on Mercer Road.

IN PALMYRA, Friday at 1:37 p.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Hicks Pond Road.

IN PITTSFIELD, Friday at 3:10 p.m., a traffic accident was reported on Main Street.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Friday at 10:41 a.m., an assault was reported on Water Street.

2:04 p.m., a report of suspicious activity was investigated on Fairview Avenue.

10:49 p.m., a vehicle fire was reported on Canaan Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Friday at 7:02 a.m., a traffic accident was reported on The Concourse.

8:50 a.m., a complaint about threatening was investigated on College Avenue.

3:28 p.m., a complaint about criminal trespassing was investigated at the Maine Smoke Shop on College Avenue.

3:34 p.m., a reported theft was investigated at Marden’s Surplus & Salvage on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

3:58 p.m., an arrest was made after a shoplifting complaint on Waterville Commons Drive.

4:02 p.m., a traffic accident was reported at Shaw’s Plaza.

4:21 p.m., a shoplifting complaint was investigated at Save-A-Lot on the Concourse.

4:23 p.m., a traffic accident was reported at Main and Appleton streets.

4:57 p.m., an arrest was made after a complaint about threatening on The Concourse.

8:12 p.m., a traffic accident was investigated on Webb Road.

8:28 p.m., a theft report was investigated on Edgemont Avenue.

9:38 p.m., a complaint about threatening was reported on Edgemont Avenue.

9:58 p.m., a reported burglary was investigated on Silver Street.

10:57 p.m., a theft complaint was investigated at The Big Apple store on Main Street.

11:36 p.m., a domestic dispute was reported on Spring Place.

Saturday at 1:05 a.m., an arrest was made during a traffic stop on Main Street.

1:34 a.m., a fight was reported at Waterville House of Pizza on Main Street.

IN WINSLOW, Friday at 1:26 a.m., a warrant arrest was made at the police station on Benton Avenue.

4:26 p.m., harassment was reported on Quimby Lane.

8:55 p.m., an arrest was made during a pedestrian check on Clinton Avenue.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Friday at 1:20 p.m., Mitchel Robbins, 24, of Livermore Falls was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

8:40 p.m, Taylor Christopher, 30, of Livermore Falls, was arrested on a warrant for an unpaid fine.

11:05 p.m., Kelsey O’Connor, 22, of Farmington, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear.

11:18 p.m., Blaine Berube, 23, of Farmington was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Friday at 6:17 a.m., Ethan A Lyons, 24, of Skowhegan, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

Saturday at 1:19 a.m., Joshua Scott Johnson, 34, of Madison was arrested on three warrants.

IN WATERVILLE, Friday at 3:58 p.m., Robert P. Loukola, 31, of Oak Street, Gardiner, was arrested at Wal-Mart on Waterville Commons Drive on charges of theft by unauthorized taking and a probation hold.

4:57 p.m., Sierra-Dawn Bailey, 187, of Union Street was arrested on the Concourse on three warrants.

Saturday at 1:05 a.m., Roberto Pizarro Jr., 22, of Maple Grove Road, China, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

IN WINSLOW, Friday at 1:26 p.m., Ashley Linn Loisel, 22, of Fortier Street, was arrested at the police station on Benton Avenue on a warrant.

8:55 p.m., Ashely Linn Loisel, 22, of Fortier Street, was arrested on Clinton Avenue on a charge of violating conditions of release.

Police converged Saturday afternoon on a Bangor Road home in Clinton to deal with a man who was threatening to kill himself, according to Steve McCausland, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

McCausland said six state troopers went to the scene in response to a request from Clinton police for assistance around 1 p.m.

The man surrendered around 4 p.m. and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. No charges are anticipated, McCausland said.

No other information about the incident was immediately available.

IN CANTON, Saturday at 12:53 p.m., a reported burglary was investigated on Main Street.

IN CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Saturday at 11:49 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Main Street.

IN CLINTON, Saturday at 2:50 p.m., a noise complaint was reported on Whitten Road.

7:18 p.m., a noise complaint was investigated at Clinton Elementary School on Morrison Avenue.

7:45 p.m., a reported fire was investigated on Pine Drive.

IN FAIRFIELD, Saturday at 7:04 a.m., a reported burglary of a motor vehicle was investigated on Summit Street.

7:46 a.m., a motor vehicle accident was reported on Interstate 95.

9:13 a.m., a reported motor vehicle burglary was investigated on Silver Street.

9:26 a.m., a noise complaint was reported on Main Street.

9:38 a.m., reported motor vehicle burglary was investigated on Summit Street.

10:18 a.m., an arrest was made at a reported domestic dispute on Martin Stream Road.

6:24 p.m., a theft was reported on Summit Street.

IN FARMINGTON, Saturday at 7:01 a.m., an assault was reported on Starling Street.

10:56 a.m., trespassing was reported on High Street.

11:08 a.m., a fire was reported on Farmington Falls Road.

6:58 a.m., a motor vehicle accident was reported at Wilton Road and Bridge Street.

9:26 p.m., an unpermitted fire was reported on Dunham Road.

10:02 p.m., a warrant arrest was reported on County Way.

Sunday at 12:11 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Wilton Road.

IN MADISON, Saturday at 8:57 p.m., a report of a scam was investigated on Main Street.

10:17 a.m., a scam was reported on Old Point Avenue.

12:12 p.m., a scam was reported on Park Street.

IN NORRIDGEWOCK, Saturday at 11:34 a.m., harassment was reported on Rebecca Street.

7:56 p.m., a reported motor vehicle accident was investigated on Waterville Road.

10 p.m., a reported theft was investigated on Rocky Road.

IN OAKLAND, Saturday at 9:20 p.m., harassment was reported on Water Street.

Sunday, at midnight, a reported motor vehicle burglary was investigated at the American Legion post on Church Street.

IN PALMYRA, Saturday at 10:05 a.m., a reported motor vehicle accident was investigated on Main Street.

3:49 p.m., a motor vehicle accident was investigated on Main Street.

IN PITTSFIELD, Saturday at 8:58 p.m., a reported motor vehicle accident was investigated on Interstate 95.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Saturday at 8:47 a.m., a motor vehicle accident was reported on Fairfield Avenue.

10:52 a.m., a fire was reported on Madison Avenue.

12:01 p.m., threatening was reported on Cedar Street.

6:50 p.m., a reported motor vehicle accident was investigated on Madison Avenue.

IN SOLON, Sunday at 12:54 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on North Main Street.

IN STARKS, Saturday at 8:51 p.m., a report of harassment was investigated on Ripley Road.

9:38 p.m., a reported domestic disturbance was investigated on Grant Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Saturday at 7:56 a.m., a reported burglary of a motor vehicle was investigated on Willow Street.

8:56 a.m., a reported burglary of a motor vehicle was investigated on Donald Street.

10 a.m., a report of criminal trespassing was investigated at Wal-Mart on Waterville Commons Drive.

11:23 a.m., shoplifting was reported at Hannaford supermarket at JFK Plaza.

2:07 p.m., a reported burglary of a motor vehicle accident was reported at May and Willow streets.

3:30 p.m., a motor vehicle accident was reported on Boutelle Avenue.

3:35 p.m., a noise complaint was investigated on College Avenue.

4:20 p.m., drug use was reported on Sherwin Street.

6:25 p.m., a report of a missing person was investigated on King Court.

6:47 p.m., a reported domestic dispute was investigated at Ticonic and Chaplin streets.

6:56 p.m., peace was restored at a reported disturbance at the fire station on College Avenue.

8:59 p.m., a noise complaint was investigated on Water Street.

Sunday at 12:51 a.m., an arrest was made at a motor vehicle stop on Silver Street.

1:37 a.m., an arrest was made on the Concourse.

2:13 a.m., an unwanted person was reported at McDonald’s restaurant on Main Street.

2:20 a.m., a reported domestic dispute was investigated on Pine Street.

3:11 a.m., an unwanted person was reported on King Street.

3:18 a.m., an arrest was made at MaineGeneral Medical Center Thayer Center for Health on North Street.

IN WILTON, Saturday at 1:18 p.m., a noise complaint was reported on Pond Road.

5:44 p.m., a fraud was reported on More Acres Road.

7:08 p.m., threatening was reported on U.S. Route 2.

7:08 p.m., threatening was reported on Gould Road.

IN WINSLOW, Sunday at 2:02 a.m., a complaint about noise was investigated on Halifax Street.

2:06 a.m., a caller complained of noise on Lasalle Street.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Saturday at 8:08 p.m., Jesse Rosse, 31, address unknown, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence and criminal speeding.

10:09 p.m., Brandon Pearson, 26, of Livermore, was arrested on a warrant.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Saturday at 2:44 p.m., Victoria J. Bavelaar, 44, of Fairfield, was arrested on charges of domestic violence reckless conduct, domestic violence assault and domestic violence terrorizing.

Sunday at 1:25 a.m., Brandon Robert Berry, 28, of West Forks, was arrested on a warrant.

IN WATERVILLE, Sunday at 12:51 a.m., Zackary A. Hann, 24, of Sackets Harbor, New York, was arrested on Silver Street on a charge of operating under the influence.

1:37 a.m., Rodney Harrison Hall, 34, of North Avenue, Skowhegan, was arrested on the Concourse on a warrant.

3:18 a.m., Andrew Raymond Cooper, 31, of Canterbury Turnpike, Norwich, Connecticut, was arrested at MaineGeneral Medical Center Thayer Center for Health on North Street on two warrants.

SUMMONS

IN WATERVILLE, Saturday at 11:23 a.m., Alicia D. Norris, 26, of Dixmont, was issued a summons at JFK Plaza on a charge of theft.

AUGUSTA

Friday at 3:53 a.m., a well-being/mental health check was performed on Bangor Street.

4:16 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Cedar Street.

4:33 a.m., a traffic accident was reported on Eastern Avenue.

5:12 a.m., a well-being check was performed on Northern Avenue.

5:53 a.m., a traffic accident was reported at Weeks Mills Road and Ward Road.

7:19 a.m., a traffic accident was reported on Hospital Street.

7:25 a.m., a traffic accident was reported at Leighton Road and Anthony Avenue.

7:51 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Water Street.

7:59 a.m., a traffic accident was reported on Darin Drive.

8:16 a.m., traffic complaints were reported on Eastern Avenue.

8:27 a.m., traffic complaints were reported on Hospital Street.

10:21 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Water Street.

11:48 a.m., a well-being/mental health check was performed on Winthrop Street.

1:39 p.m., a complaint about trespassing was reported on Murray Street.

4:11 p.m., a complaint about mentally disturbed persons was reported on Middle Street.

5:25 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Chamberlain Street.

5:49 p.m., a report of a past burglary was made on Middle Street.

7:38 p.m., a well-being check was performed on Whitten Road.

8:37 p.m., a general disturbance was reported on Western Avenue.

9:27 p.m., a pedestrian check was performed on Cony and Arsenal streets.

Saturday at 12:10 a.m., a pedestrian check was performed on South Belfast Avenue and Church Hill Road.

2:29 a.m., a well-being check was performed on Sewall Street.

3:39 a.m., traffic complaints were reported on Civic Center Drive and I-95.

5:18 a.m., suspicious activity was reported and a pedestrian check was performed on Old Winthrop Road.

7:23 a.m., a hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Civic Center Drive.

11:30 a.m., a disturbance was reported on Blaine Avenue.

11:32 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Swan Street.

1:02 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Bond Brook Road.

2:16 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Sewall Street.

4:37 p.m., a traffic accident was reported on Western Avenue.

6:52 p.m., a domestic disturbance was reported on Stream Side Road.

8:37 p.m., traffic complaints were reported on Western Avenue.

8:46 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Western Avenue.

9:52 p.m., a civil complaint was made on Ryan Court.

10:39 p.m., a well-being check was performed on Cony Street.

HALLOWELL

Friday at 6:36 a.m., a traffic hazard was reported on Pleasant Street.

11:12 a.m., city ordinance violations were reported on Water Street.

10:12 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Central Street.

Saturday at 1:28 p.m., complaints about an animal were made on Water Street.

1:35 p.m., a well-being check was performed on Winthrop Street.

6:07 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Winthrop Street.

WINTHROP

Saturday at 7:55 p.m., a traffic accident was reported on Tappan Farm Road.

ARRESTS

AUGUSTA

Friday at 8:05 a.m., John Labbe, 48, transient, was arrested on Cony Road on a warrant following an investigation.

4:28 p.m., Michael Pinkham, 27, of Chelsea, was arrested on Union Street on a warrant.

8:06 p.m., Donald W. Morang, Jr., 36, of Chelsea, was arrested on Bangor Street on a charge of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.

10:32 p.m., Moises Pujols, 31, of Augusta, was arrested on charges of domestic violence assault, aggravated criminal trespass and a probation hold.

Saturday at 7:35 p.m., Brent Lavallee, 31, of Augusta, was arrested on a probation hold following an investigation of a report of intoxicated persons on Community Drive.

8:10 p.m., Robert J. Bell Jr., 34, of Augusta, was arrested on a warrant.

9:16 p.m., Edward Treannie, 51, of Skowhegan, was arrested on a warrant following an investigation into a report of suspicious activity on Cony Street.

10:53 p.m., Michael Lovell, 20, of Augusta, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence of alcohol following a report of an accident on Memorial Bridge.

WINTHROP

Sunday at 3:50 a.m., Charley W. Hayford, 50, of Winthrop, was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

AUGUSTA — Two women sentenced Friday for various offenses will be among 11 women starting a newly revamped CARA program at the Kennebec County jail.

The specialty program, Criminogenic Addiction Recovery Academy, aimed at helping people break the cycle of rearrest by dealing with their substance abuse and criminal thinking, has been dormant recently because of a lack of funding.

But it’s now restarting with $120,000 provided by the Legislature and a hand from Augusta officials.

Justice Robert Mullen, the judge at Friday’s hearings in the Capital Judicial Center, told each of the women, Danielle L. Hayden and Nichole M. Pranes, that he hoped they could succeed in the newly re-launched program.

“It’s a completely new program,” District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said, adding that a program for men will begin after the initial women’s program has been operating for 12 weeks.

Those in the CARA program spend an initial five and a half weeks involved with programming inside the jail before being placed on home release for another five and a half weeks under an intensive outpatient program run by Crisis & Counseling Centers personnel. The participants are followed by Maine Pretrial Services for a year with conditions that require calling in daily and reporting weekly in person.

The participants are subject to frequent random drug testing and prohibited from using alcohol and from illegal possession and use of drugs.

“We have statistics that it has proven successful,” Maloney said, citing numbers from Sheriff Ryan Reardon that show a re-offending rate of 18-20 percent for new criminal conduct among those who complete the program. “We’re hoping the changes can bring those numbers even lower.”

Recidivism data from the National Institute of Justice show that two-thirds of prisoners are rearrested within three years of release.

“We are making some changes to the after-care part of the program to make it more effective,” Reardon said.

Maloney said a need for managed sober housing became apparent when some CARA participants were released from jail and returned to the drug scene they had been in before.

“Clean/sober housing in the community will give the CARA graduates a greater opportunity for success,” she said, noting that even without it, those who are participating in CARA live in the community after their jail sentence is complete.

“This is not changing the amount of time they spend in jail,” Maloney said.

Both Reardon and Maloney praised Augusta Mayor Dave Rollins for his work in helping to identify possible sites for sober housing.

“We have talked to landlords who have been outstanding,” Reardon said, adding that the housing would not be paid for by the city or any agency but through existing general assistance the participants receive. While CARA operates at the Kennebec County jail, participants from other counties generally go back there once they complete the jail portion of the program.

Reardon said the longer people can remain in a structured program, the better their recovery.

“With long-term heroin use, it can take a year or more to get the opiate out of the system and to finish the withdrawal,” he said.

“Without the leadership of Mayor Rollins, we would not even have the possibility of clean housing for the CARA graduates,” Maloney said. “It is not definite yet, but we are moving toward a monumental change. Clean/sober housing in the community will give the CARA graduates a greater opportunity for success.”

Rollins said his role is as a liaison between the district attorney, the treatment services and the sheriff and “bringing that group to a couple of landlords that are willing to discuss establishing sober houses so people can establish themselves in a living environment where there is no usage or dealing going on.”

“Some people are excited about it,” Rollins said. “They feel they can do it and be financially whole and feel they can contribute to the community in that they’re helping to provide treatment and rehabilitation service.”

He also said City Councilor Patrick Paradis volunteered to serve as facilitator for the group.

“It’s very important that we invest time and money into treatment and rehabilitation so that we create a group of recovered individuals that return to be productive members of society,” Rollins said.

Rollins also wants to focus on preventing addiction, saying he encourages leaders of children’s and youth groups to incorporate discussions and awareness about the harms of substance abuse.

Hayden, 42, formerly of Belgrade and more recently of Skowhegan, was sentenced Friday to an initial six months in jail with the remainder of the five-year term suspended and three years’ probation.

Hayden had pleaded guilty March 11 to a number of charges, including burglarizing a local pastor’s home while the 69-year-old man was at church services. The victim reported about $2,000 was stolen from his home on July 26, 2015, in Belgrade. Hayden had been at the Belgrade man’s home a day earlier asking for money and saw that he got it from his freezer, according to a police affidavit.

She and another woman went to the home the next morning when he was out, but Hayden was seen and recognized by a neighbor. No charges were filed against the woman who was with Hayden.

Hayden also pleaded guilty to an April 13, 2015, theft at Wal-Mart in Augusta, and then criminal trespass and violating conditions of bail offenses which occurred at Wal-Mart in Augusta on Nov. 28, 2015.

Hayden, who had been free on bail, was taken into custody at the close of the hearing in the Capital Judicial Center.

“The sentence is five years, and that’s what you could end up serving if you don’t comply,” Justice Robert Mullen told her. “If you do comply, I think this is a tremendous opportunity for you.”

He added, “If you are successful, I think society and yourself will be all the better for it.”

Pranes, 40, of Waldoboro, was placed on an 18-month deferred disposition after pleading guilty Friday to a felony charge of unlawful possession of cocaine base from Nov. 5, 2015, in Pittston. If she successfully completes CARA and other conditions of the deferred disposition, the charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor level and she would be sentenced to 364 days in jail, all suspended, and one year of probation.

“I do not underestimate for a moment what it is to be an addict,” Mullen told Pranes. “This is in my mind a very generous offer.” He also warned her, “You have zero wiggle room for error.”

Pranes assured the judge she would succeed, and he offered to congratulate her “on the record” if she returns to tell him so.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

A Freeman Township man was arrested Saturday night after a report of a sexual assault involving a girl under the age of 16.

Justin M. Robinson, 21, of Freeman Township was arrested at 10:30 p.m. Saturday at his home and charged with Class C unlawful sexual contact and Class D unlawful sexual touching, according to a news release from Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols.

The department had received the sexual assault complaint at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, Nichols said.

Robinson is at the Franklin County Jail pending arraignment, the release said.

WATERVILLE — Tenants of a three-story apartment building on Silver Street are frightened after authorities say two fires were intentionally set minutes apart Sunday night, damaging the five-unit building and destroying a pickup truck on Elm Street about 100 yards away.

Janette Jones, 59, lives on the first floor of the building at 58 Silver St., just across the hallway from a common closet where the fire was set. She has only one leg and is in a wheelchair and said she has had five heart attacks and a mini-stroke. She’s nervous about the fact that there was a truck fire and a fire in her building within such a short period of time.

She said the smoke alarm outside in the hallway had been going on and off all weekend, and she called police Friday night to alert them. On Sunday night, she had nodded off and woke to see all the firetrucks and someone kicking at the door. Firefighters came in and helped her outside and gave her a blanket, she said.

“I’m in this wheelchair and I’m scared,” she said.

State and local fire officials, as well as Waterville police, are investigating both fires. Sgt. Ken Grimes of the state fire marshal’s office said the fires were classified as arson.

“Both fires are probably within 100 yards or so,” Grimes said Monday. “At this time we don’t have anything conclusive to say they are connected. However, we’re examining the possibility that they are connected just because of proximity and the timing.”

He said there was moderate damage to the apartment building, which is located at the corner of Silver Place.

At 10:44 p.m. Sunday, police were called to 43 Elm St. to investigate a vehicle fire and found a red 2011 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck engulfed in flames, according to Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey. Five minutes later, at 10:49 p.m., police got a call about the fire at 58 Silver St., he said.

Rumsey said the pickup truck was destroyed, and officers alerted residents of the apartment building and helped them outside.

“In the Silver Street fire, we had officers respond and a number of people were still inside the apartment building,” he said. “Our officers entered and knocked on doors and woke people up and escorted them from the building to outside.”

Everyone got out of the building safely, including a man who climbed down a second story balcony, Rumsey said.

“Certainly, I think it is concerning that there were two fires that close in time and that close in distance,” he said. “We are glad there were no injuries and loss of life.”

The apartment fire started in the closet inside the front entrance to the building, Rumsey said. State fire investigators and Waterville police Detective Dave Caron investigated, along with city fire officials.

Waterville Fire Department Chief David LaFountain said fire also was found in the stairway of the apartment building, which had smoke in it.

He said a stairway fire is unusual.

“There’s really nothing in a stairway except maybe a light fixture, and usually that’s somebody trying to trap somebody inside the building, typically,” LaFountain said. “That’s the way out.”

LaFountain, who is recovering from foot surgery, was not at the fire Sunday night but said the night was very busy.

“Both fires are suspicious and the fire marshal is looking into both of them,” he said.

Firefighters arrived at the scene of the truck fire at 10:52 p.m. and cleared the scenes of that and the apartment fire at 12:45 a.m. Monday, he said.

Monday afternoon, state fire investigators Ken MacMaster and Jeremy Damren were at the apartment building on Silver Street.

“We’re still talking to a bunch of people,” MacMaster said.

On the second floor of the apartment building, tenant Dora Turcotte, 58, said she was away for Easter when the fire occurred Sunday and learned about it from her upstairs neighbor.

“This is scary,” Turcotte said. “I am worried.”

The front hallway Monday afternoon smelled heavily of smoke, and the wall was blackened around the closet where the fire was set. Inside the closet, papers on the floor were charred.

Meanwhile, over on Elm Street, a muddy parking lot was blackened where the pickup truck had burned Sunday night. Broken glass and other debris were still visible on the ground, which had been mostly cleaned up. The lot is behind 43 Elm, where Flo’s Flower Cart formerly was housed.

Paula Fundaro, 65, lives in a nearby apartment building overlooking the fire site. She said she called 911 when she saw the truck burning late Sunday.

“I’m saying, ‘Oh my God, Oh my God,’ and it was popping,” Fundaro recalled Monday as she stood on her porch holding her 3-year-old great granddaughter, Allana Cleaves, who lives with her.

“I think the whole city of Waterville was here,” Fundaro said. “I swear to God, it was like Christmas. Fire officials called us last night. Today, the fire marshal came over and talked to me, and he knew I was really nervous. He was a wicked nice guy.”

Fundaro’s grandson, Dalton Bowman, 17, was at her apartment Monday and said it was his friend’s parents’ pickup truck that burned Sunday. The friend had been visiting Fundaro and was in her apartment when the fire broke out.

“My granddaughter said to him, ‘Oh, my God, your truck’s on fire,'” Fundaro recalled.

Fundaro called 911 to report the fire, and police and firefighters were there within a short time, she said.

“They were fast, they worked fast,” she said. “They were good.”

Bowman said he spoke with his friend whose parents owned the truck, and he said he did not have any enemies who would burn it.

This is the second fire in a week in the Waterville area that fire officials are calling suspicious. In Oakland March 19, fire destroyed a mobile home at 431 Trafton Road in Oakland near the Waterville city line. The homeowners were away for the winter, and the fire was started outside the home. Grimes said it was a case of arson.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17

IN ANSON, Sunday at 8:08 a.m., a report of suspicious activity was investigated on Randall Street.

2:26 p.m., a report of breaking and entering was investigated on Bow Street.

IN CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Sunday at 9:19 p.m., a noise complaint was reported on Birchwood Lane.

IN CORNVILLE, Monday at 3:27 a.m., a report of assault was investigated on West Ridge Road.

IN FAIRFIELD, Sunday at 5:05 p.m., theft was reported on Main Street.

9:01 p.m., a report of theft was investigated on Water Street.

Monday at 8:20 a.m., a report of theft was investigated on Main Street.

IN FARMINGTON, Sunday at 12:11 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Wilton Road.

5:13 p.m., suspicious activity was reported on Fairbanks Road.

6:13 p.m., an assault was reported on Wilton Road.

Monday at 12:18 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on Main Street.

IN HARTLAND, Sunday at 11:23 p.m., a report of disturbance was investigated on Commercial Street.

IN JACKMAN, Sunday at 3:41 p.m., trespassing was reported on Marston (West) Road.

IN OAKLAND, Sunday at 9:06 a.m., an arrest was made on Andrew Terrace.

10:02 a.m., threatening was reported on Olivia Avenue.

12:44 p.m., a complaint about an unwanted person was investigated on Pleasant Street.

3:06 p.m., harassment was reported on Olivia Avenue.

10:18 p.m., an arrest was made on Fairfield Street.

IN PITTSFIELD, Sunday at 5:34 p.m., a report of suspicious activity was investigated on Ames Court.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Sunday at 12:55 a.m., a motor vehicle stop led to an arrest on Commercial Street.

8:35 p.m., a report of assault was investigated on West Front Street.

9:46 p.m., a harassment complaint was investigated on Water Street.

IN SOLON, Monday at 5:33 a.m., suspicious activity was reported on South Main Street.

IN ST. ALBANS, Sunday at 12:45 p.m., a report of disturbance was investigated on Ripley Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Sunday at 8:09 a.m., a reported theft was investigated on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

9:29 a.m., a reported burglary was investigated on Harold Street.

10:59 a.m. a reported motor vehicle burglary was investigated on Main Street.

Noon, a reported motor vehicle burglary was reported on Maple Street.

1:17 p.m., a reported motor vehicle burglary was investigated on Kelsey Street.

3:55 p.m. a reported burglary was investigated on High Street.

5:49 p.m., a motor vehicle accident was reported at CVS Pharmacy on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

5:57 p.m., an arrest was made on High Street.

7 p.m., a personal injury accident was reported at Wal-Mart on Waterville Commons Drive.

8:48 p.m., a reported theft was investigated on Elm Street.

10:44 p.m., a fire was extinguished on Elm Street.

10:49 p.m., a fire was extinguished on Silver Street.

IN WILTON, Sunday at 4:26 p.m., an assault was reported on Main Street.

IN WINSLOW, Sunday at 4:08 p.m., a reported burglary was investigated on Clinton Avenue.

8:06 p.m., harassment was reported on Benton Avenue.

11:51 p.m., a noise complaint was reported on Halifax Street.

ARRESTS

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, Sunday at 7:43 a.m., Alexis Dobos, 21, of Rome, was arrested on a charge of operating while license suspended or revoked.

10:50 p.m., Justin Robinson, 21, of Freeman Township, was arrested on a charge of unlawful sexual contact.

IN OAKLAND, Sunday at 9:06 a.m., Dominie A. Bailey, 35, of Middle Road, Sidney, was arrested on Andrew Terrace on a warrant.

10:18 p.m., Crystal L. Pooler, 26, of Fairfield Street, was arrested at her residence on a warrant.

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Sunday at 1:25 a.m., Brandon Robert Berry, 28, of West Forks, was arrested on a warrant for violation of bail.

IN WATERVILLE, Sunday at 5:57 p.m., Kenneth Ivan Palmer, 52, transient, was arrested on High Street on charges of criminal trespass, criminal mischief and a probation hold.

SUMMONS

IN WATERVILLE, Sunday at 8:09 a.m., Samantha M. Perry, 23, of Kennedy Memorial Drive, was issued a summons at her apartment on a charge of false public alarm or report.

8:09 a.m., David Maynard Louiselle, 23, of Kennedy Memorial Drive, was arrested at his residence on a charge of false public alarm or report.

IN WINSLOW, Sunday at 8:58 a.m., Micha Sila Hanson-Smith, 35, of Center Street, Oakland, was issued a summons on Clinton Avenue on charges of operating while license suspended or revoked, possession of suspended or fictitious license and violating conditions of release.

AUGUSTA — A man already facing an indictment on murder charges has been indicted again, this time on a series of burglary and theft charges that occurred prior to the bludgeoning death of 31-year-old Joseph Marceau of Augusta.

Michael Sean McQuade, 45, of Augusta, was charged Friday by a grand jury in Kennebec County with two counts of burglary, six counts of burglary of a motor vehicle, and eight counts of theft by unauthorized taking, all between May 1, 2015, and Nov. 10, 2015, and all in Augusta.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt, but it indicates that there is enough evidence to proceed with formal charges and a trial.

McQuade pleaded not guilty Jan. 26, 2016, to the prior indictment charging him with murder, felony murder and robbery, in what police say was a drug-related crime.

McQuade’s girlfriend, Zina Marie Fritze, 27, who also was indicted on the murder and robbery charges, committed suicide in jail on Jan. 27, 2016, after she too pleaded not guilty to those offenses.

Marceau was found beaten to death Nov. 23, 2015, in the Washington Street apartment that had been occupied by McQuade and Fritze. Another man, Damik Davis, 26, of Queens, New York, who was arrested shortly after Marceau’s body was found, also pleaded not guilty to murder in three separate forms — intentional or knowing or depraved indifference — as well as felony murder, murder, and robbery, all related to Marceau’s death.

McQuade had been out on bail on a number of the burglary and theft charges when the murder occurred.

McQuade is accused of burglarizing vehicles on River, Washington and Water streets as well as on Julianne Lane and Northern Avenue. The theft offenses say McQuade stole a snowblower, money, shoes, a car radio, a phone charger, cellphones and checks.

A number of other people were indicted Friday by a grand jury in Kennebec County:

• Daniel Benner, 34, of Damariscotta, operating after revocation Jan. 10, 2016, in Hallowell.

• Danielle J. Bunikis, 23, of Brunswick, aggravated trafficking in heroin Dec. 16, 2015, in Augusta.

• Kendell Cagle, also known as Kendall Cagle and Gudda, 28, of Manhattan, New York, six counts of aggravated trafficking in heroin Jan. 8-21, 2016, and criminal forfeiture of $1,640 cash Jan. 21, 2016, all in Oakland.

• Justin M. Couture, 25, of Palermo, theft by unauthorized taking and forgery Aug. 6-20, 2015, in China.

• Shannon M. Grant, 36, of Waterville, burglary and theft by unauthorized taking Aug. 19, 2015, in Waterville.

• Zachary O.K. Grant, 26, of Pownal, theft by unauthorized taking and burglary Dec. 24, 2015, in Pittston.

• Christian C. Greaves, 21, of Clinton, theft by unauthorized taking Nov. 18, 2015, and two counts of unauthorized use of property, operating after suspension, operating without a license and violation of condition of release Nov. 8, 2015, all in Waterville.

• Heath M. Hanson, 42, of Standish, operating after revocation and violation of a protective order Aug. 14, 2015, in Hallowell.

• Dwayne Holmes, 59, of Oakland, two counts of unlawful trafficking in cocaine base July 10 and July 17, 2015, in Waterville.

• John H. Howard, 40, of Augusta, four counts each of burglary and theft by unauthorized taking and two counts each of criminal mischief Sept. 29, 2015, in Manchester and Augusta.

• Michael L. Journet II, 37, of Augusta, two counts of aggravated trafficking in heroin Dec. 16, 2015, in Augusta.

• David Thomas King, 38, of West Gardiner, criminal operating under the influence and operating beyond license condition or restriction Oct. 19, 2015, in West Gardiner.

• David Rashaun McCadney, also known as Shawn Porter, Black Shawn, Sheist, 32, of Augusta, two counts of aggravated trafficking in heroin Nov. 12 and 19, 2015, in Augusta.

• Joseph A. McManus, 30, of North Anson, operating after revocation and attaching improper plates Dec. 22, 2015, in Farmingdale.

• Matthew Adam Miller, 24, of Farmingdale, assault on an officer Oct. 10, 2015, in Augusta.

• Zachary R. Moore, 23, of China, domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence assault and assault Dec. 31, 2015, in China.

• Jeffrey Daniel Paquette, 32, of Waterville, domestic violence reckless conduct, domestic violence assault and domestic violence terrorizing Jan. 14, 2016, in Waterville.

• Donald Armand Poulin, 62, of Augusta, unlawful trafficking of marijuana and marijuana cultivation Nov. 10, 2015, in Augusta.

• Gregory T. Roe, 30, of Chelsea, two counts of burglary, three counts of theft by unauthorized taking and one count each of burglary of a motor vehicle and violation of condition of release Jan. 8-28, 2106, in Chelsea and Farmingdale.

• Cecile Louise St. Hilaire, 55, of Augusta, aggravated trafficking in oxycodone July 29, 2015, in Augusta.

• Shayna L. Shaw-Jenney, 25, of Oakland, five counts of unlawful trafficking in heroin Jan. 8-21, 2016, and one count of aggravated trafficking in heroin Jan. 21, 2016, and criminal forfeiture of $1,640 cash Jan. 21, 2016, all in Oakland.

• Todd E. Simpson, 42, of Waterville, burglary and aggravated criminal mischief Oct. 10, 2015, in Waterville.

• Jason Andrew Stephenson, 40, of Waterville, failure to comply with duty under Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 1999 on Aug. 24, 2015, in Waterville.

• Dakota M. Terranova, 25, of Augusta, aggravated criminal trespass, violation of a protective order and assault Nov. 7, 2015, in Augusta.

• James Wilbur, 32, of Wisconsin and most recently of Litchfield, Maine, two counts each of burglary, theft by unauthorized taking and criminal mischief and one count of forgery, all Jan. 12, 2016, in Augusta. The burglaries occurred at South Parish and Unitarian Universalist churches, and Wilbur was arrested later that day as he was on a bus departing the city.

• Michael L. Wilson, 34, of Waldoboro, operating after revocation, domestic violence assault, domestic violence terrorizing, unauthorized use of property, obstructing report of crime or injury, violation of condition of release and failure to sign violation summons and complaint Nov. 23-28, 2015, and aggravated forgery, criminal mischief, failure to give correct name and violation of condition of release Nov. 27, 2015, in Augusta.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

SKOWHEGAN — A Canaan man accused of setting his neighbors’ house on fire in September and killing their pets allegedly did not like the men because of their sexuality, according to an affidavit filed in Skowhegan District Court.

Matthew Short told police after the fire that Aldo Baldie and Ron Pelletier previously lived in the trailer he and his girlfriend occupied on Browns Corner Road, but that he didn’t know them and did not set their home on fire, according to the affidavit by Jeremy Damren, a police officer with the Office of Maine State Fire Marshal.

Yet several acquaintances, including one woman who told police that Short “didn’t like the guys based on their sexuality,” told police that Short had set the fire.

Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Monday that Short lived near Baldie and Pelletier and that the men knew each other as neighbors. He said he had no information regarding Baldie and Pelletier’s sexuality or whether the fire was being investigated as a hate crime.

Baldie and Pelletier, who couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, were at an Alcoholics Anonymous celebration for a friend at the time of the fire Sept. 21 and came home to find their trailer at 289 Browns Corner Road destroyed. Their three cats and four dogs died in the fire.

Short, 30, was arrested earlier this month and charged with arson, burglary and aggravated cruelty to animals. He entered no plea during an initial court appearance last week and is being held on $35,000 cash bail.

On the day of the fire, Short said he got a phone call from his girlfriend, Sheena Moshier, who told him $150 was missing from their residence and that she had found a pack of cigarettes — the same type that Baldie and Pelletier smoked — in their trailer, according to the affidavit.

Short told at least two acquaintances that he beat the men up over the missing money and one acquaintance that he set the trailer on fire, the affidavit said.

Baldie and Pelletier, in an interview with police, said they were never assaulted by anyone the night of the fire and that they do not know Short.

Short is next scheduled to appear in court April 27.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

AUGUSTA

Sunday at 7:30 p.m., a disturbance/disorderly conduct was reported on Kendall Street.

10:02 p.m., a Stone Street caller reported theft/shoplifting.

Monday at 4:42 a.m., a 25-year-old Whitefield man was issued a summons charging him with possession of marijuana and sale and use of drug paraphernalia following a traffic stop at Bangor Street and Bangor Lane.

FARMINGDALE

Saturday at 2:33 a.m., a Kennebec Drive caller reported a burglary.

GARDINER

Friday at 9:21 p.m., a Water Street caller reported theft.

Saturday at 11:46 a.m., a 23-year-old Gardiner man was issued a summons on Harrison Avenue charging him with assault.

HALLOWELL

Sunday at 4:33 p.m., a 19-year-old Turner man was issued a summons on Water Street charging him with criminal operating after suspension.

LITCHFIELD

Saturday at 10:51 a.m., a Huntington Hill Road caller reported a boat motor was stolen from his boat.

RANDOLPH

Sunday at 8:04 p.m., a 22-year-old Randolph woman was issued a summons charging her with unlawful possession of scheduled drug.

WINTHROP

Friday at 7:59 p.m., an incident involving drugs was reported on Route 133.

11:38 p.m., disorderly conduct was reported on Union Street.

Saturday at 12:59 a.m., an incident apparently involving operating under the influence occurred on Bowdoin Street.

11:02 a.m., fraud was reported.

ARRESTS

Sunday at 11:57 a.m., William Francis Atwood, 39, of Augusta, was arrested at the Kennebec County jail on State Street, Augusta, on a charge of failure to pay fine.

11:58 a.m., Christy Diane Wanager, 35, of Lebanon, was arrested at the Kennebec County jail on State Street on two charges of failure to pay fines.

Sunday at 12:11 p.m., Anthony P. Murphy, 46, was arrested on Middle Street, Augusta, on warrants charging probation revocation and failure to appear on a charge of operating after suspension.

7:24 p.m., a 13-year-old was arrested on Middle Street on a charge of possession of marijuana.

9:36 p.m., Jerry Edward Schulte, 55, of Augusta, was arrested on Village Circle on a warrant charging him with failure to appear on charges of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and forgery.

Monday at 1 a.m., Courtney Wentworth Berzinis, 33, of Augusta, was arrested on Crosby Street on two counts of failure to pay fines and one count of failure to appear. Shawn Theodore Lord, 35, of Augusta, was arrested at the same place on two counts of failure to pay fines.

SKOWHEGAN — A Fairfield woman charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of her infant son is scheduled to appear for an arraignment in Somerset County Superior Court Tuesday.

Kayla Stewart, 20, will also be evaluated for mental competence by a state forensic examiner at the request of Assistant Attorney General John Alsop.

In his request, filed March 11, Alsop wrote that the investigation of the case “revealed facts and circumstances suggesting a potential for trial issues regarding (Stewart’s) competence, abnormal condition of mind or criminal responsibility.”

He declined to comment Monday regarding specific concerns the state has regarding Stewart’s mental state.

Stewart’s attorney, Pamela Ames of Waterville, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Stewart is being held without bail at the Somerset County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1 p.m.

Stewart was indicted by a grand jury on the two charges earlier this month. Both are felonies punishable, upon conviction, by a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors in the case have alleged that Stewart allowed her son to die either by suffocating or smothering the child, or by leaving it in a cold garage to die after she gave birth at home.

Her attorney argued at a February bail hearing that Stewart had a miscarriage and panicked.

In January, a special agent for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency notified state police of the case after learning “about a suspicious infant death involving a person who she had dealt with in the past,” according to a police affidavit in the case. Alsop said Monday that he was not aware of Stewart having a past history with the DEA and was not sure what the affidavit was referring to.

Police also interviewed Stewart’s mother, Lucille Stewart, in January, after she reported that her daughter had been pregnant and was no longer pregnant and she was concerned about what may have happened to the child.

Stewart was arrested 10 days after police found the remains of the child in the garage of the home she shared with her boyfriend, Nicholas Blood, on Norridgewock Road in Fairfield.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

A Richmond man is accused of arson in a case where police say he set fires in the barn he was sleeping in.

Gary Jay Martin, 59, was arrested Sunday and is being held at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset in lieu of $10,000 bail.

According to Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, the arson charge was brought by the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal. Martin also is accused of burglary, criminal trespass and violating conditions of bail.

“Richmond Police discovered Martin inside the barn at 1 Furlong Road where he had been staying in recent days,” according to the press release. “A fire was underway inside a grill, and there was evidence of previous fires in several locations inside the building, likely set by Martin to keep warm. None of the fires had spread and there was little damage to the barn.”

McCausland also said Martin, who was described as homeless, is suspected in a second burglary at a vacant home also the previous weekend.

An Anson man will serve four years in prison and 12 years on probation after pleading guilty earlier this month to three charges of unlawful sexual contact with children under the age of 12, according to court records.

Phillip Dickey, 74, was sentenced March 2 to serve 10 years in prison, with all but four years suspended, after pleading guilty to the three charges. He was also sentenced to 12 years probation following release.

Two charges of gross sexual assault were dismissed as part of a plea deal, according to Somerset County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney, who said the bargain was made in part to spare the young victims from having to testify in court.

“He will be supervised for the rest of his life for certain,” Maloney said, adding that Dickey is older and in poor health. “He may be in custody for the rest of his life.”

The victims were all under the age of 12 when the assaults took place.

Dickey was arrested in October after a teenage girl learned that a younger girl for whom she babysat had been assaulted by him, authorities said. The girl and her sister also reported having been assaulted by Dickey in 2008 and 2009 while their grandmother was in a relationship with him, according to court records.

The younger girl, a neighbor of Dickey’s in Anson, reported the abuse to her mother last year after seeing a video at school about body safety that prompted her to tell her parents.

In December, a Somerset County grand jury indicted Dickey on the unlawful sexual contact charges as well as the gross sexual assault charges.

“The victims are young and they did not want to testify,” Maloney said. “They agreed to this outcome and it allows for them to be protected and the community to be protected.”

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

AUGUSTA — A Sidney couple was indicted Friday in an incident where the district attorney says their 1-year-old daughter got into heroin last summer.

Jason D. Thomas, 34, and Katie J. Robinson, 23, are charged with unlawful possession of heroin and endangering the welfare of a child on July 17, 2015, in Sidney.

“We’re alleging that the child ingested heroin, and the child was 1 at the time,” said Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney.

She said while the incident occurred in July, the couple was arrested on the charge Dec. 21, 2015.

“The detectives with the Kennebec Sheriff’s Office put a lot of time into this investigation,” Maloney said on Monday.

Maloney said the parents took the child to the hospital at the time, and she tested positive for opiates at the hospital.

Sometime afterward, the home was searched and a number of interviews were done, Maloney said.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt, but it indicates that there is enough evidence to proceed with formal charges and a trial.

The unlawful possession of heroin charge is a felony and carries a five-year maximum term of imprisonment. Endangering the welfare of a children is a misdemeanor offense with a maximum jail term of 364 days.

Thomas has previous convictions in Kennebec County, including one for drug trafficking in 2006, in which he was sentenced to a 10-year prison term and ordered to serve an initial four years and five months of that with the remainder suspended.

Published records show Robinson was convicted in June 2012 of unlawful possession of oxycodone and trafficking in prison contraband in Augusta and was sentenced to serve an initial 28 days with the remainder of a two-year jail term suspended. She was placed on two years’ probation.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

AUGUSTA — The opiate abuse crisis visible here on city and rural streets, in police reports, and in hospital emergency rooms won’t go away until the community takes action to stop it, organizers of an upcoming forum say.

That’s why the goal of Wednesday’s opiates forum is not to present information about the problem to a crowd of people who’ll listen politely, then go home and forget about it. Rather, it is meant to prompt them into action.

“This is an action, not come and sit and listen. This is about what can you bring to the table to help with this,” Holly Kiidli, substance abuse coordinator for Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, one of several local organizations working to put together the forum. “We heard, at the first forum, people are ready to take action. They already know there is a problem, and they are looking to what they can do.”

The Take Back Our Community, Action in Augusta gathering is a follow-up to a Jan. 11 opiates forum attended by more than 275 people.

Kiidli said everyone, from clinicians to city officials to someone who has lost a loved one to a drug overdose, has some form of expertise or ability to help.

“Everybody has expertise in some area, everybody,” Kiidli said. “It may be someone who experienced losing someone to overdose, it may be someone who can speak about treatment, it may be someone who is raising their kids and knows exactly what her 10-year-old needs. Things are not going to change until our community really pulls together.”

Jared Mills, deputy police chief, said the biggest way people can help with the enforcement aspect of the fight against the spreading abuse of heroin, prescription drugs and other opiates is to report drug activity to police.

“Be our eyes,” Mills said of what the public can do to help. “We’ll show you how to get hold of us, which you can do anonymously, if you see something suspicious, and how to speak to a drug detective directly. We want to empower the public to give us that information, because we want to act on it.”

Mills said two detectives hired by Augusta Police to focus on drug-related crimes are now working regularly. One of them, Detective Nathan Walker, was the lead investigator in a bust last week on Mount Vernon Avenue prompted by information about suspected drug activity provided by the public, in which three were arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin.

Mills said having drug detectives, combined with a new, faster approach to such investigations, means police can take action much sooner than before.

“When we get drug (information) from the community like we did (in the Mount Vernon Avenue case), we’re acting on it as quickly as we can,” Mills said. “Before, these things would take months to put together. Instead of months, now it’s days.”

Statewide, drug overdose deaths increased by 31 percent in 2015, reaching a new high of 272 fatalities that was fueled by a near doubling of heroin deaths, according to data released earlier this month by the Attorney General’s Office. There were 107 deaths from heroin, compared to 57 heroin overdoses the previous year.

In Augusta alone, the Augusta Fire Department responded to 50 heroin overdoses in 2015, up from 26 in 2014 and just six in 2007, according to Fire Chief Roger Audette. The Augusta department used Narcan, a drug which can revive heroin users who have overdosed, 44 times in 2015 to revive people who weren’t breathing.

Wednesday’s forum begins at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at Cony High School in Augusta.

The format for this one will be a bit different than the first. Following opening remarks from Fred White, a psychologist and organizer, participants will break into any of six different community action teams, each focusing on a different aspect of the problem. Sessions for the community action teams will last about 30 minutes, then participants will have an additional half-hour session during which they can stay in the same group or take part in a group focusing on a different aspect. Then everyone will reconvene as a group to report on what took place in the smaller groups and plan what actions should be taken.

The smaller groups will focus on these six areas:

• Advocacy, including how to contact legislators and other officials to express concern and seek action;

• Treatment, including information on what services are available and how to navigate the treatment system;

• Medical, including a discussion of MaineGeneral policies and practices about treating pain, and how to identify signs and symptoms of narcotic use, abuse and overdose;

• Education and prevention, including information for parents on how to talk to their kids, and work on public service announcements;

• Recovery, including identifying gaps in recovery supports and taking action to reduce those gaps;

• Enforcement, including an update on current efforts being made to address the opiate crisis and how people can help local law enforcement agencies.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @kedwardskj

SKOWHEGAN — A Fairfield woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of her infant son.

Kayla Stewart, 20, entered the pleas during an arraignment in Somerset County Superior Court and is being held without bail at the Somerset County Jail. She is scheduled to undergo a forensic evaluation to determine mental competency, after which her next court appearance will be held.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Stewart said little except to answer questions asked of her by Justice Robert Murray about whether she understood the charges against her and their penalties.

Members of Stewart’s family and her attorneys, Pamela Ames and John Martin, declined to comment outside the courthouse Tuesday.

Stewart gave birth to the infant in December at the home she shared with her boyfriend, Nicholas Blood, on Norridgewock Road in Fairfield, according to a state police affidavit. The couple also has a 3-year-old daughter.

State prosecutors say that after Stewart gave birth to the full-term, healthy baby boy, she killed it by either smothering or suffocating the child, or by leaving it in a cold, unheated garage to die. She allegedly told a state police detective that she “made sure” the baby was dead.

Ames argued at a February bail hearing that Stewart had a miscarriage and panicked, so she was not responsible for the child’s death.

In January, a special agent for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency notified state police of the case after learning “about a suspicious infant death involving a person who she had dealt with in the past,” according to a police affidavit in the case.

The baby’s remains were found by authorities Jan. 11. The child’s date of birth listed in the indictment is Dec. 30, the same day as the alleged crimes.

State police found the full-term baby boy with a placenta still attached, wrapped in a blanket and trash bags under an oil tank and behind a sheet of insulation after Stewart’s mother had called police with her concerns about the baby’s fate two days earlier, according to the affidavit written by Maine State Police Detective Scott Bryant.

She was arrested and charged with murder Jan. 22 at the 457 Norridgewock Road, Fairfield, residence she shared with her boyfriend, Nicholas Blood, who has not been charged.

Earlier this month a grand jury indicted Stewart on the murder charge as well as a charge of manslaughter.

Somerset County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney told the Morning Sentinel at the time that it is not unusual for a grand jury to bring up more than one charge in a homicide case, even if the charges involve the same actions.

“We often charge cases with more than one theory of the case,” Maloney said, adding that each charge depends on the alleged perpetrator’s mental state. “If she were convicted of both counts, they would be consolidated before sentencing. This means she will only be sentenced on one count, because both counts involved the same actions.”

Both murder and manslaughter are felonies punishable, upon conviction, by a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

IN CHESTERVILLE, Monday at 8:07 a.m., fraud was reported on Paul Road.

IN CLINTON, Monday at 12:02 p.m., harassment was reported on Morrison Avenue.

12:18 p.m., a caller reported an unwanted person on Spring Street.

1:57 p.m., a report of bad checks was reported at Buddies Groceries on Main Street.

IN FARMINGTON, Monday at 4:50 p.m., a traffic accident was reported on Wilton Road.

8:43 p.m., fraud was reported on Belcher Road.

IN HARTLAND, Monday at 3:48 p.m., a chimney fire was reported on Academy Street.

IN MADISON, Monday at 1:59 p.m., a reported theft was investigated on Weston Road.

IN NORRIDGEWOCK, Monday at 11:45 a.m., threatening was reported on Smithfield Road.

5:14 p.m., harassment was reported on Mechanic Street.

IN SKOWHEGAN, Monday at 10:28 a.m., a traffic accident was reported on Back Road.

12:54 p.m., a theft was reported on Waterville Road.

2:24 p.m., a reported theft was investigated on South Factory Street.

4:04 p.m., a reported theft was investigated on Russell Road.

6:21 p.m., threatening was reported on Robin Court.

6:21 p.m., an auto theft was reported on Russell Road.

IN STRONG, Monday t 12:57 p.m., a structure fire was reported on Pond Road.

IN WATERVILLE, Monday at 11:40 a.m., a traffic accident was reported on Waterville Commons Drive.

11:56 a.m., shoplifting was reported at Wal-Mart on Waterville Commons Drive.

3:28 p.m., a reported theft was investigated at Kmart on Elm Plaza.

3:33 p.m., a report of threatening was investigated on Front Street.

3:54 p.m., harassment was reported on Summer Street.

4:38 p.m., a reported domestic dispute was investigated on Summer Street.

4:57 p.m., a traffic accident was reported at Union and Front streets.

9:03 p.m., harassment was reported on Elm Street.

10:42 p.m., a reported domestic dispute was investigated on Front Place.

Tuesday at 12:14 a.m., peace was restored after a reported disturbance on Elm Street.

IN WINSLOW, Monday at 9:44 a.m., identity theft was reported on China Road.

ARRESTS

IN SOMERSET COUNTY, Monday at 11:12 a.m., John Edward Labbe, 48, listed as transient, was arrested on a warrant.

11:12 a.m., Edward M. Treannie, 51, of Skowhegan, was arrested on a warrant.

3:10 p.m., Allisha Rose Savage, 27, of Manchester, was arrested on a warrant.

SUMMONS

IN WATERVILLE, Monday at 11:56 a.m., Rachel Bolduc, 39, of Fairfield, was summoned on a charge of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer.