A Gardiner man is facing charges after allegedly threatening to burn down his ex-girlfriend’s home and shoot her dog.
Scott Howard, 30, was charged with domestic violence criminal threatening, domestic violence terrorizing, theft and violation of condition of release, said Maine State Police Trooper Jim Moore. No one was injured during the incident, which lasted six hours and involved multiple officers.
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Howard was being held Monday at the Kennebec County jail in lieu of $1,200 bail.
Moore said police were called to Chelsea around 7:30 a.m. Monday by a woman reporting that Howard, her former boyfriend, was sending her Facebook messages threatening to burn down her house and her sister’s house.
Howard, who allegedly stole his former girlfriend’s dog last week, also threatened to shoot the dog.
“He was also telling her he was hiding in the woods with gun,” Moore said.
Troopers said they set up a fake meeting between Howard and the former girlfriend in order to take him into custody. Howard was arrested around 1:30 p.m., on Route 24, in South Gardiner.
“He thought he was waiting to meet her,” Moore said. “He was actually walking to meet us.”
Howard was arrested without incident, though it was a tense encounter, Moore said.
“We had to assume he had a firearm,” Moore said. Troopers learned Howard was unarmed after he was arrested.
Police said the former girlfriend’s dog, a German shepherd, was returned unharmed.
Moore said troopers arrested Howard on a charge of criminal mischief last month after he allegedly broke windows his girlfriend’s house, which Howard used to share with her.
Craig Crosby — 621-5642
Twitter: @CraigCrosby4
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