Lewiston

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO.

On Sunday, July 17, 2022, shortly after 4:00 pm, Lewiston Police responded to a report of gunshots at 30 Howe Street. Officers arrived on scene and found 20-year-old John Paquin of Worcester, Massachusetts suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Paquin was transported to Central Maine Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The lower section of Howe Street was blocked off for several hours while Lewiston Police, Maine State Police Detectives and Evidence Technicians processed the scene and conducted interviews.

At approximately 1:30 am on July 18th, 2022 a search warrant was served at a home at 12 Howe Street. That warrant stemmed from the arrest of 28-year-old Mark John Sinclair of Lewiston earlier in the evening. Sinclair who lived at 12 Howe Street held active warrants for DV Terrorizing, Criminal Mischief, and Violation of Bail and was transported to the Androscoggin County Jail.

On Monday, July 18, 2022, at approximately 12:20 p.m. the Office of Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on Paquin and ruled his death a homicide. This afternoon State Police Detectives charged Sinclair with Murder for the death of Paquin. He is being held without bail. Sinclair is scheduled to be arraigned later this week in Androscoggin County Superior Court.
 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO

On Sunday, April 3, 2022 the Maine State Police received numerous 911 calls from a man who was traveling southbound on I-95 in the Gray area. The man was identified as 27-year-old AHMED DUALE of Lewiston. DUALE was discovered to have committed an armed robbery in Auburn. Troopers located the vehicle southbound in Scarborough. While awaiting units to safely attempt to stop the vehicle DUALE began to speed up to a reckless speeds. Troopers activated their lights and attempted to stop DUALE. DUALE refuse to stop, weaving in and out of the lanes of travel. Numerous attempts to deploy spike mats were unsuccessful. Troopers continued the pursuit into New Hampshire were the New Hampshire State Police took over the pursuit. Once in New Hampshire DUALE continued to drive recklessly. NHSP requested Maine assist them in preventing DUALE from using the crossovers, which he had used on a few occasions. While attempting to keep DUALE from using a crossover, DUALE hit a Maine State Police cruiser at low speeds. Taking advantage of the contact between the vehicles, a Trooper was safely able to stop DUALE’s vehicle. DUALE was taken into custody without incident.

DUALE is facing numerous charges in Maine to include, Eluding, Aggravated Driving to Endanger, Criminal Speed, Reckless conduct with a dangerous Weapon as well as armed robbery out to the City of Auburn. DUALE was transported by NHSP to the Rockingham County Jail and will be facing charges in New Hampshire. 

Maine State Police Troop G was assisted by Troop A, York, and Kittery Police Departments. 
 

From the desk of Shannon Moss, DPS PIO.

On Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 10:5 a.m. Maine State Police responded to a crash on I-95 at mile 83 northbound in Lewiston. The driver of a red Toyota pickup truck was in the passing lane and traveling too fast for road conditions when he came upon a Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) plow truck. The driver of the pickup attempted to go around the plow on the median side where there was no room. He then hit the left wing of the plow causing it to bend back and puncture the tank that holds the brine solution which is used to treat the roads.  

There were no injuries to either driver.  

Other than this crash Troopers are reporting light traffic today with only a couple of slide offs.

The Maine State Police and the Maine Bureau of Highway of Safety  would like to remind drivers to give plows some room. Do not follow too close behind and do not crowd the plow when passing.

 
A Lewiston woman is facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor after an investigation by the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (CCU).
 
On August 26, 2020, the Maine State Police CCU and the Lewiston Police executed a search warrant for Knox Street in Lewiston. Police arrested Laura Rideout (45) of Lewiston for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and transported her to the Androscoggin County Jail. A Sept 23, 2020 court date was set in Lewiston. Bail was set at $50,000 cash with conditions of no contact with any minor under 16 and specifically no contact with the minor victim.
 
Rideout is being charged with the following crimes:
-Gross Sexual Assault  / Class A crime
-Sexual Exploitation of Minor Under 12 / Class A crime
-Possess Sexual Explicit Material of Minor Under 12 / Class C crime
-Dissemination of Sexually Explicit Material / Class B crime
 
This investigation is ongoing and no further details will be released.

LEWISTON, Maine – A Lewiston man is facing charges after fleeing from police in Lewiston.

At approximately 11:40 a.m., on July 9, 2020, Tr. Ryan Phillips was in contact with agents from Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) who were requesting his assistance in stopping a motor vehicle in Lewiston.  The vehicle was suspected to be operated by Chad Nichols, 31, of Lewiston.  Nichols was a suspect of drug trafficking, had a revoked license and two active felony warrants for his arrest.  Tr. Phillips intercepted the vehicle near the intersection of Russell St. and College St. in Lewiston and initiated a traffic stop.  While the Trooper was approaching the vehicle, the operator took off, leading Tr. Phillips on a high-speed pursuit northbound on College Rd. into a rural part of Lewiston and into the town of Greene.  

The chase continued into Greene, when the suspect vehicle turned onto Rt. 202 headed back toward Lewiston.  Lewiston Police officers set up spikes on Rt. 202 near the Lewiston/Greene line, but the deployment was not effective.  As the chase continued back into populated area of Lewiston, the decision was made to terminate the pursuit by Sgt. Joseph Bureau.  Simultaneously, Pilot Supervisor Jerry Pearson was airborne and had a visual on the suspect vehicle.  Pearson led responding units to that vehicle and provided a description of the suspect, as the suspect fled on foot into a wooded area off Tall Pines Drive. Cpl. Jonathan Russell and K-9 Gus began a track at that location.

MDEA agents received a tip that Nichols had been picked up and later located him in a vehicle on Scribner Blvd, near the intersection of Webster St.  Lewiston PD officers were first on scene at that location and initiated a felony stop.  Nichols was taken into custody at this location and was charged with Eluding, Driving to Endanger, Criminal Speed, and Operating after Revocation Habitual Offender.  
 

State Police say the man who died in a crash on the Maine Turnpike in Lewiston on April 27, 2020,  is 31 year old Joshua Lussier of Lewiston.  Troopers said Lussier was traveling at a high rate of speed in the northbound lane when his car struck guardrails.  He was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown out of the car. He died at the crash site.