PARIS – A Mexico man pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday in Superior Court on felony charges of assault and attempted murder stemming from a Dec. 1 incident in Mexico.
John M. Ryerson, 26, failed to post bail of either $5,000 cash or $75,000 surety, and was taken back to Oxford County jail where he has been since being arrested by Mexico police Chief James Theriault.
At the time of his arrest, Ryerson’s bail was set at either $50,000 cash or $250,000 surety.
Ryerson was indicted on Jan. 15 by the Oxford County grand jury on one count each of aggravated attempted murder, and elevated aggravated assault – both Class A crimes – and one count of aggravated assault.
According to Theriault, Ryerson allegedly shot Matthew Pettengill, 24, of Jay, with a 12-gauge shotgun at a Whitman Street residence in Mexico. Pettengill, who was visiting Ryerson’s ex-girlfriend, was wounded in the shoulder.
Theriault said he responded to the ex-girlfriend’s call for help at 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 1 when she asked the chief to remove Ryerson from her home at 35 Whitman St. Ryerson left after Theriault told him to go, but reportedly returned to his home, retrieved the shotgun then returned to his ex-girlfriend’s residence.
According to the police report, when Ryerson saw Pettengill walk past a window, he shot him.
The charge of elevated aggravated assault in Maine is the equivalent to attempted homicide. It is a Class A felony punishable by up to 40 years.
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