A Lewiston man was arrested Thursday following a high-speed chase and hourslong manhunt after he fled on foot and was eventually tracked down by police using two police dogs, a drone equipped with thermal image detection, a game camera that snapped a photograph of him on the run, and numerous tips from residents who reported on his travels.

Nicholas Derosby, 28, formerly of Waterville, was eventually found hiding under leaves next to a pond off North Main Street in North Monmouth, near Tex Tech Industries. Police found Derosby there after he was reported in the area by residents.

Police used the Monmouth Police Facebook page to post a photograph of the suspect caught on a resident’s game camera, and residents responded by calling in sightings of him as he passed through their yards in different parts of town.

Police alerted the community out of concern Derosby might try to break into homes or steal a car in the area.

“I posted something on Facebook and we started getting calls, people seeing him in the area, so we kept following up on that,” said Monmouth Lt. Dana Wessling. “We were all over the place. We were really concerned, and citizens really did a fantastic job, that was helpful for us to start pinning him down to one area.”

Wessling said a couple of days ago a Winthrop officer spotted a car making bad passes and driving erratically, but by the time the officer had turned around to pursue, the car had sped off. Police ran the license plate and discovered the car had an expired registration. They said the listed owner did not appear to be who was driving that day, but they suspected it may have been the owner’s son, Derosby.

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Thursday, around 11 a.m., police received reports of that same car on U.S. Route 202 heading from Winthrop toward Monmouth, again making bad passes and speeding. A Winthrop officer tried to catch up to the vehicle and Wessling came upon it on U.S. Route 202, turning around to pursue it.

“I turned around on it and it took off at a high rate of speed, it shot off like a rocket down 202 passing cars, going in the breakdown lane …” Wessling said.

Speeds approached 111 mph, and the car turned onto Back Street, a side road, traveling at an estimated 90 mph. Wessling said he slowed down to allow some distance between his cruiser and the car, but still followed its path. He said on Old Lewiston Road the car went airborne off a hill in the road, which appeared to have damaged the vehicle, allowing Wessling to catch up to it. The driver got out and fled on foot, past a residence, running through a field.

A female passenger police said was with Derosby was taken into custody but later released, without being charged.

Police believed the driver was Derosby who, Wessling said, was on probation and had a revoked driver’s license.

He remained on the lam for several hours, despite police tracking dogs from Androscoggin and Kennebec county sheriff’s offices assisting in the search. Police also used a drone that shows thermal images, indicating where there could be a person on the ground below.

Derosby was arrested Thursday evening on charges of eluding an officer, driving to endanger, violating conditions of release, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, operating after revocation and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration.

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