FRYEBURG — A woman who was stabbed repeatedly in her home-based business Tuesday morning was home recuperating Wednesday as police continued a search for the suspect.

“The victim is out of hospital and recovering,” police Sgt. Joshua Potvin said. “We are following up on all leads and sending evidence to the state police crime lab.”

The victim’s 2-year-old daughter, who was in the next room, was unharmed.

Potvin said a while male approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall with rotten teeth and severe acne walked into the Creature Comfort business carrying a pregnant dog covered with a dirty blue blanket about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The dog grooming company is at 169 Lovewell Road. Attempts to reach the victim Wednesday were unsuccessful.

The man asked for help in delivering the puppies, Potvin said.

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He said that when the 46-year-old business owner used the phone to call a veterinarian, the man suspected she was calling the police and made reference to not wanting to go back to jail.

The man became enraged and began assaulting her with a statue, he said.

“She grabbed her shears and tried to defend herself but the suspect took them away and began to stab her,” Potvin said.

The woman went temporarily unconscious and suffered stab wounds from her head to her knees, and “defense wounds” on her arms from trying to fend off the suspect, the officer said.

She was taken to Bridgton Hospital where she was initially listed in stable condition.

The man fled the business after removing cash from the woman’s purse and a donation jar for animal rescue that was on the counter.

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Potvin said the woman has been in town for several years, but did not recognize the man. She also was unable to determine whether the man walked or arrived in a car because a large snowbank is in front of the house.

Because the dog was wrapped in a blanket, she only saw the tail and was unable to identify the breed.

The man fled with the dog.

“This is a senseless crime that happened to a citizen who was just trying to help a stranger in need,” Potvin said in a statement Tuesday.

The man is described as having a medium build, in his late 20s to early 30s, wearing a camouflage ball cap, a green canvas style barn coat and black winter gloves. He has a missing bottom tooth on right side.

Anyone with information should contact Sgt. Potvin at 207-935-3323 or email at poddy107@gmail.com.

ldixon@sunjournal.com


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