A Gorham man with a history of escaping from authorities has eluded them once again, this time reportedly leading a sheriff’s deputy on a car chase, swimming across the Kennebec River and begging hikers on the Appalachian Trail for a change of clothes, police said.
On Monday, Deputy Brian Crater, of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, spotted a vehicle allegedly driven by Corey W. Paradise, 45, near a camp on Canada Road, or U.S. Route 201, in Moscow, according to a news release Friday from the sheriff’s office.
Crater recognized the car, a 2008 Mazda3, from game camera images captured at camp break-ins over the last year.
He activated his blue lights to stop the car, but Paradise instead drove north towards Caratunk, at times going at speeds greater than 100 mph, the release said.
Earlier in the week, the sheriff’s office said Paradise had jumped out of the moving car and fled on foot, but Friday’s release said that as the car approached Caratunk, it appeared to blow its engine and slid to a stop by the side of the road.
It was then that Paradise fled on foot into the woods.
Several law enforcement agencies, including Maine State Police with a canine unit, the Maine Warden Service with an aircraft and U.S. Border Patrol responded but were unsuccessful in locating Paradise.
A man fitting his description later was reported to have been seen swimming across the Kennebec River near an Appalachian Trail crossing.
The same man also was observed begging for a change of clothes from hikers and was seen Tuesday morning walking down Carry Pond Road in Carrying Place Township, the release said.
Paradise was last seen wearing a blue sweatshirt, tan shorts and camouflage Crocs.
After the man fled the car, Crater found numerous items inside that appeared to be stolen. He was able to confirm some had been taken from the camp in Moscow near where he first encountered the car.
A passenger in the car, Farah Paradise, 48, of Gorham, was arrested at the scene in Caratunk and charged with burglary and theft.
Earlier this month, Corey Paradise jumped out a window at a construction site in York after officers had used Taser stun guns on him. He fled barefoot into a nearby wooded area in the midst of a thunderstorm.
He also led Scarborough police on a long, bizarre car chase that at times involved unusually slow speeds and ended with him being found hiding under a porch in 2014.
Paradise is wanted in Somerset County on charges of burglary, theft, eluding an officer, speeding 30 mph over the posted limit, being a habitual motor vehicle offender, driving to endanger and violating conditions of release.
He has ties to the Jackman, Scarborough and Gorham areas.
Anyone with information about him is asked to call the Somerset County Regional Communications Center at 474-6386.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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