911 hangup call leads to cocaine arrests, charges

John A. Robichaud

- Rumford Police Department

Dahlia Robichaud

- Rumford Police Department

RUMFORD — Police response early Sunday morning to a 911 hangup call — with unexpected help from a snowstorm — led to the arrest of a Rumford couple on cocaine charges.

John Robichaud, 44, and Dahlia Robichaud, 39, were each charged with unlawful possession of cocaine and illegal possession of drug paraphernalia at Dahlia's Franklin Street home.

Detective Capt. Daniel Garbarini said Tuesday afternoon the incident began at 2:36 a.m. when Patrolman Ian Theriault responded to Dahlia Robichaud's home after Paris dispatchers received a 911 hangup call from a woman at the residence.

When Theriault and other officers arrived, Garbarini said no one answered the door or raps on the windows.

Additionally, no one inside responded to repeated phone calls until a dispatcher got Dahlia Robichaud on the phone.

"She said that her son had called 911, which was considered suspicious at that hour," Garbarini said.

The officers, fearing for Dahlia Robichaud's safety due to a previous history of domestic violence at the home, contacted the on-call officer, who told them to enter the home, Garbarini said.

When they did, officers found the cocaine in plain sight, Garbarini said. The Robichauds escaped into the basement and exited the house.

However, because it had snowed during the night, police simply followed the barefooted couple's footprints to their neighbor's house and arrested them there, Garbarini said.

"They weren't even dressed for such conditions," he added.

Dahlia Robichaud was also charged with hindering apprehension.

John Robichaud, who was free on bail stemming from a Sept. 9 domestic violence arrest, was also charged with violating conditions of release.

Garbarini said that one of the bail conditions prohibited John Robichaud from having any contact with Dahlia.

However, during the investigation, police determined that Dahlia Robichaud was having voluntary contact with John Robichaud, despite his bail conditions.

John Robichaud was unable to post bail and was taken to Oxford County Jail in Paris. Dahlia Robichaud was freed on $300 cash bail. Both will be arraigned on Feb. 2 in Rumford District Court.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com