RANGELEY – Two people face charges after a man arrested on a drunken-driving charge called a woman from a cell phone while he was in the back of a police cruiser, asking her to come get his keys to move his vehicle. The problem was the woman was under the legal drinking age and was intoxicated, Rangeley police officer Jared Austin said.
Christian “Buzzy” Jensen, 43, of Rangeley, was charged with operating under the influence, criminal mischief and escape. Sarah Bellefleur, 19, of Rangeley, was charged with operating without a license in violation of condition or restriction of license, and OUI, Austin said
Austin said he made a routine traffic stop at 1:20 a.m. Sunday near the police station on School Street, went up to the vehicle and smelled the odor of alcohol.
Jensen and Austin went to the police station to perform field sobriety tests.
Jensen failed the tests, Austin said, and he was placed under arrest on a charge of operating under the influence.
When he went to have Jensen, who was secured in handcuffs, take a breath test on the intoxilyzer, he became aggressive and slammed himself and the chair he was sitting in repeatedly against the wall, Austin said.
Austin called for backup from the U.S. Border Patrol, which has an office in town, and they helped get Jensen, a local firefighter, into the cruiser.
Once inside, Jensen started kicking the cruiser window, Austin said.
He stopped the cruiser en route to the Farmington jail at Jensen’s Main Street residence, to drop off keys for someone to move Jensen’s vehicle, but no one was home.
Jensen made a call on his cell phone and asked a woman where she was.
The woman replied she was coming down Main Street and Jensen told her she needed to move his car, Austin said.
The officer said he could hear the conversation and the woman told Jensen she couldn’t move his car because she was “too drunk.”
Austin said he saw the woman coming in a vehicle in his rear-view mirror and got out and signaled for her to stop.
“I could smell alcohol,” Austin said. “She admitted to drinking and we did some sobriety tests.”
While Austin was conducting the tests, he said Jensen, who was still handcuffed in the back of the cruiser, rolled down the window, jumped out and fled on foot.
The Border Patrol agent caught up with him and secured him.
Bellefleur took a breath test and failed, Austin said. After she was arrested, Bellefleur was released on personal recognizance bail.
Jensen was taken to jail and released later Sunday on $3,000 unsecured bail. They both have a May 22 Farmington court date.
Then Monday afternoon, Jensen was arrested for a second time after Austin and officer Brian Hughes did a bail check at his residence.
Police found a useable amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Austin said.
Jensen was charged with violation of bail, Austin said, and was cited for civil violations of possession of marijuana and sale and use of drug paraphernalia.
He was taken to Franklin County jail in Farmington and is expected to be held there until a court appearance, Austin said.
Attempts to reach Jensen and Bellefleur were unsuccessful Monday.
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