RUMFORD — A local man is awaiting trial in April after pleading not guilty to terrorizing, assault and other charges at his arraignment Monday in 11th District Court.

Jason Joel Kehrer, 35, of 566 Prospect Ave., Rumford, was conditionally released on $500 secured bail, according to his court file.

He was charged with two counts of assault, two counts of terrorizing, obstructing the report of a crime or injury and criminal trespass. The charges stem from an incident that began with a crying baby late Friday night at his second-floor apartment, court documents state.

According to Rumford police officer Donald Miller’s affidavit, Miller and officer Dan Carrier responded to a complainant’s call that Kehrer was armed with a knife and threatening people at the apartment.

When police arrived, Miller said Kehrer was unarmed and walking around inside the apartment and yelling. He was handcuffed and taken outside while Miller interviewed the complainant and her mother and a downstairs neighbor.

Miller said the complainant told him she put her 18-month-old daughter to bed in her crib, but the child began crying.

The complainant’s mother took the baby from the crib to feed her from a bottle and that upset Kehrer, who Miller said began yelling and swearing at the older woman and repeatedly poking her in the face.

The complainant took her baby back, and Kehrer followed the other woman into her bedroom and destroyed her cellphone when she attempted to call police, the affidavit states.

The woman began having difficulty breathing and tried to use her oxygen tank, but Kehrer pulled the cord out of the machine, Miller said.

Kehrer temporarily prevented her from leaving the apartment before going to his bedroom and returning with a hunting knife and threatening to kill her. The complainant told her mother to flee down to a first-floor apartment, and Kehrer pursued her and fell down the stairs, the affidavit states.

The complainant’s mother told Miller that Kehrer “put her in a bear hug” at the neighbor’s door before letting her go and following her into the neighbor’s apartment.

There, the affidavit states, Kehrer ripped the neighbor’s phone and Lifeline out of the wall while yelling at her and poking her in the face. He also threatened and assaulted the neighbor by grabbing his arms, Miller said.

Miller arrested Kehrer and he was taken to Oxford County Jail in Paris early Saturday morning. . He failed to post $6,000 cash bail.

Kehrer is to have no contact with the victims or to be within 200 feet of the victims’ residences; refrain from having and using alcohol or illegal drugs and dangerous weapons; and is subject to search and testing at any time.

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