Fire leads to marijuana charges

A structure fire at a Monmouth mobile home on Cobbossee Road Thursday afternoon resulted in police charging one occupant with marijuana cultivation after a false alarm about a methamphetamine lab on scene.

Monmouth Fire Chief Dan Roy said the fire, reported at 1:10 p.m., damaged the exterior of the home, but that there was apparent damage to the interior.

“The first officer on the scene saw a grass fire spreading to the structure and starting to ignite the exterior of the mobile home,” Roy said on Friday. “He grabbed a shovel and shoveled snow to keep the fire at bay until fire truck arrived. They were able to stop the fire from spreading to the interior, so it was a quick knockdown.”

Roy said the wind had fanned the fire toward the home, and firefighters remained on scene for several hours while police searched the scene.

“When firefighters arrived, a woman at the scene told them a meth lab was inside and to be careful,” Monmouth Police Officer Dana Wessling said Friday.

Investigators from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency found no evidence of methamphetamine manufacture, Wessling said. However, Monmouth Police Officer Michael Parshall issued a summons to 18-year-old Adam Parsons charging him with marijuana cultivation after finding marijuana growing, Wessling said.

Augusta

Thursday: At 9:33 p.m., a Crosby Street caller reported a disturbance, disorderly conduct.

Monmouth

Friday: At 7:43 a.m., police responded to a report of an assault on Route 126.

ARRESTSAugusta

Thursday: At 7:17 p.m., Nicholas James Carpenter, 28, of Augusta, was arrested on Water Street on warrants from Rockland District Court charging him with failure to pay fines on four cases there.

Friday: At 2:36 p.m., Jacob Isaac Paradis, 28, of China, was arrested on a warrant at the Augusta Police Department, Union Street.