A Cornville man with a history of terrorizing and criminal threatening was arrested twice over the weekend, the first time for allegedly threatening to kill a family of three in Skowhegan and to shoot police if they were called. He was arrested a second time for breaking bail conditions by drinking alcohol, police said Monday.

James L. Mayo, 44, remained held Monday at the county jail in East Madison in lieu of $500 cash bond or $5,000 in property. He was arrested early Saturday on charges of criminal threatening and terrorizing after police were sent to a disturbance Friday night on East Ridge Road.

Skowhegan police Chief Donald Bolduc said Mayo also lives on East Ridge Road, but the disturbance did not involve members of his own family.

Bolduc said Mayo allegedly went to the home and threatened to return with a handgun “and kill everyone there.” He said Mayo also threatened to shoot any police officer who attempted to intervene. He allegedly made the threats before being picked up by someone driving a silver Subaru wagon.

Mike Pike, the domestic violence investigator for the district attorney’s office, along with two Skowhegan police officers and a Somerset County sheriff’s deputy, spent the next two hours trying to find Mayo and issued a teletype alert to other law enforcement agencies in Maine.

Waterville police located Mayo and held him for Pike, who took him into custody. Waterville police also issued Mayo a summons for criminal mischief for an alleged incident that occurred in the prisoner intake area at the police station.

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A jail intake worker at the Somerset County Jail said Mayo initially was released on $5,000 cash bail. The conditions of bail included that he not use or possess drugs, alcohol or weapons and to have no contact with the family involved in the East Ridge Road incident.

At 3:40 p.m. Sunday, Mayo allegedly was seen throwing rocks at cars on Madison Avenue in Skowhegan, according to Bolduc. Police reported they found Mayo had been drinking, which was a violation of his bail, and he was arrested again and taken back to jail.

Mayo was arrested on similar terrorizing charges in 2013 after threatening people at the Cornville Regional Charter School. He was arrested after that incident on charges of terrorizing, criminal threatening, criminal mischief, refusing to submit to arrest or detention on two counts and violation of probation.

In January 2013, he was convicted of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon in Cornville and terrorizing in Skowhegan.

In 2011, he was convicted of terrorizing in February and again in September in Skowhegan, two counts of criminal mischief in May in Madison, and harassment by telephone in May in Fairfield.

He also was convicted of assault, disorderly conduct and violating a condition of release in 2006 in Madison.

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Jacob Underwood, also of East Ridge Road in Cornville, said he and his family were targets of Mayo two or three years ago when he entered their home and carved a Satanic symbol on the floor that he said was to help rid them of the devil.

Underwood got a protection order against Mayo after he was seen waiting at Underwood’s children’s day care center, at their school bus stop and at their school. He said Mayo terrorizing people, getting arrested and getting released is “pretty regular.”

“He’s arrested and out, arrested and out. I’ve never fully understood why he isn’t locked in a place on a more permanent basis,” Underwood said Monday.

District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said via email Monday afternoon that she was out of her office and unable to comment immediately on Mayo’s case.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow


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