SABATTUS – A 29-year-old woman was shot to death early Monday morning at an isolated home at the end of Roberts Road.
Police identified the woman as Melissa Mendoza. Court records show that she most recently lived at the Econo Lodge in Auburn and with a couple in Mechanic Falls, but police said she came to Maine from Tustin, Calif.
Daniel Roberts, 35, who lives at the 81 Roberts Road house where the shooting took place, called 911 to report the shooting at 1:23 a.m. Police said Roberts, Mendoza and their 2-year-old daughter, Savanna, were the only people in the house at the time.
Court records show that Roberts has custody of the child through Sept. 15, pending additional court hearings. One hearing was set for Aug. 26, based on court filings.
The couple has a long history of domestic problems. Mendoza had sought protection-from-abuse orders at 8th District Court on several occasions dating back to 2003.
In an affidavit filed Tuesday, Aug. 9, with 8th District Court seeking a protection-from-abuse order, Mendoza wrote that Roberts had threatened her and had had an acquaintance smash her car’s windshield.
She wrote that Roberts told her: “I could break every bone in your body” as their conflict over custody of their daughter grew.
“Dan is intimidating and continues to harass me,” Mendoza wrote last week. “He has put a gun to my head numerous times and I am afraid he or one of his friends will hurt me. … I believe Dan will try to harm me in any way he can.”
During a Monday afternoon news conference, state police Lt. Brian McDonough called Roberts “a cooperating witness.”
Minutes after McDonough said that Roberts was cooperating, assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese joined investigators inside the Sabattus police station. Marchese often prosecutes capital crimes in the Androscoggin area.
State police are conducting the investigation into the shooting. Sabattus police were the first to respond Roberts’ 911 call, followed by Androscoggin County sheriff’s deputies and then state police. As the day worn on, the local officers were relegated to securing the crime scene.
The house sits out of view at the end of a long gravel road flanked by woods. The gravel section begins were the paved portion of Roberts Road ends.
Access to it is guarded by a large metal gate. Signs prohibit trespassing. One notes “last warning.”
McDonough said several firearms were found at Roberts’ house. He declined to say if one had been used in the shooting.
Pending an autopsy, McDonough also declined to say how many times Mendoza had been shot. Her body was sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta for an autopsy Monday once crime scene specialists cleared it for transportation.
A police source close the investigation said Mendoza died of a single gunshot wound to the back of her head.
State police were continuing their investigation late Monday.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.