RUMFORD — Police arrested a West Paris man late Wednesday after a 14-mile chase that began with a complaint of sexual harassment and ended when the suspect ran out of gas in Peru.
Austin C. Kimball Rumford police
When it was over, Rumford police arrested 22-year-old Austin C. Kimball on charges of reckless conduct with a vehicle, driving to endanger, driving with a suspended license, driving while intoxicated, eluding police and violating conditions of release.
Police said the drama began when a Rumford woman called to report that while she was jogging, a man in a vehicle approached her and made lewd remarks while trying to entice her into his car. When the jogger took off running, police said, the driver sped off, turned back and drove toward the woman, ultimately swerving to avoid hitting her.
A short time later, according to Rumford police Chief Tony Milligan, police located Kimball in the Rumford Information Booth parking lot. When they attempted to stop and question him, Kimball took off in his vehicle and attempted to crash head-on into an occupied Rumford police cruiser.
Rumford police pursued Kimball and eventually took him into custody after his vehicle ran out of gas on the East Shore Road at Worthley Pond in Peru.
Milligan said police have investigated other recent incidents where Kimball has endangered the public. In March, Kimball was arrested in West Paris after allegedly being intoxicated, aggressive and threatening violence upon a store clerk. He was later released by the court on bail with conditions of no use or possession of alcohol.
Last month, police said, Kimball was arrested again after he was involved in a rollover crash in West Paris and determined to being under the influence. He was eventually released by the court on bail.
“Because of the seriousness of these incidents, the high risk to the safety of the residents in the region and Kimball’s repeated unwillingness or inability to comply with bail conditions,” according to a news release, “Rumford Police Chief Tony Milligan submitted a written recommendation to the District Attorney’s Office urging the prosecutor and court to consider $100,000 cash bail for Kimball citing him as a public safety threat.”
Kimball was arraigned by the court Thursday and bail was set at $2,500 cash or $250 with a supervised release contract. Kimball remained jailed late Thursday afternoon.
The jogger he is accused of approaching was not hurt, police said.
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