JAY – An armed woman trying to take custody of her teenage son from a state worker surrendered to police Thursday after a 90-minute standoff at her apartment, police said. No one was injured in the incident.
Mary Tilton, 30, of 22 Church St. is charged with criminal restraint by a parent and terrorizing after trying to take her 16-year-old son from the custody of Shirley Michaud of the Department of Health and Human Services, police said. Tilton’s intent was to take him out of state or “hold him in a place where he was not likely to be found,” a complaint filed in 12th District Court in Farmington stated.
The department requested police intervention after Tilton armed herself with a knife and barricaded herself inside her home, a Jay Police Department statement said.
“When police and department of human services attempted to talk to the mother in regards to a family protection matter, the mother slammed the door and locked it,” the police statement said.
It also said other people were home at the time, but Chief Larry White said he could not comment on who or how many were there.
Jay police Cpl. Jeff Fournier, who White said is experienced in negotiations and familiar with Tilton, convinced her to give up.
Tilton was taken to the Franklin County jail and had posted bail by Friday morning.
She is charged with terrorizing because she allegedly “did communicate to Troy Young of the Jay police” a threat to kill another person, according to the complaint.
Chief White said the threat against the other person was “not connected directly but was an offshoot” of Thursday’s incident.
The Maine State Police tactical team and the Livermore Falls Police assisted.
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