SKOWHEGAN — A Waterville man was arrested Saturday after he fled from police when he was caught breaking into a Skowhegan home, police said.
Lamont Flanders, 28, was arrested on charges of burglary, a class B felony, and refusing to submit to arrest or detention, a class E misdemeanor, according to Skowhegan police Chief David Bucknam. Flanders was also charged with two counts of violation of condition of release because he was out of jail on two separate bail conditions, Bucknam said.
Lamont Flanders Photo courtesy of Somerset County Jail
Around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, the owner of a home on the East River Road in Skowhegan reported to authorities that he saw on a security camera that a male was breaking into the home, Bucknam.
The person, later identified as Flanders, used a screwdriver to pry open the door and then kicked it in, Bucknam said.
Cpl. Josh York of the Skowhegan Police Department arrived at the home, and when he announced his presence, Flanders jumped out of a window and ran into the woods near the Kennebec River, Bucknam said. The East River Road runs along the river.
York requested the assistance of a police dog, and Sgt. Ryan Dinsmore of the Waterville Police Department arrived with the dog, along with officers from Waterville and Clinton, Bucknam said.
The dog, named Riggs, then tracked Flanders to an embankment along the river, Bucknam said. Police deployed the K-9 to bite Flanders.
Bucknam said that patrol dogs can be used to bite suspects when there are safety concerns for police officers and others on scene.
“When suspects ignore the commands of law enforcement, the K-9 is usually the one to act,” Bucknam said.
Flanders was not injured by the bite and did not need to be transported to the hospital, Bucknam said, who added that often a police dog will sometimes bite a jacket or other clothing to stop a suspect.
As of Saturday afternoon, Flanders was being held at the Somerset County Jail in East Madison with no bail allowed, Bucknam said.
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