BANGOR, Maine — Authorities are looking for a Maine couple — Daniel Porter and Cheyanne Nowak — in connection with a missing Florida firefighter who last was seen in the Bangor area on Feb. 16, Bangor police Lt. Tim Reid said Thursday afternoon.
Jerry Perdomo, 31, of Orange City, Fla., drove a rental car from the Sunshine State to Bangor, where it was found abandoned on Friday morning, Feb. 17, at Walmart off Stillwater Avenue, Sgt. Paul Edwards said Tuesday night.
“It is believed that one or both of these individuals may have had contact with Mr. Perdomo shortly before his disappearance on the evening of Feb. 16,” Reid said.
Perdomo is a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Seminole County Fire Department and didn’t show up for work as scheduled on Sunday, Florida firefighter and paramedic Shane Rogers said Tuesday night.
Police believe that Porter, 24, and Nowak, 23, are in a four-door tan, 2005 Hyundai Elantra with a temporary Maine license plate, number 729-257.
Police originally were looking for a white 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer that was registered to Nowak, who is from Newburgh.
Nowak has prior drug and theft convictions on her criminal record, according to a background check run by the Bangor Daily News on Thursday using the Maine State Bureau of Identification database.
She was arrested in Bangor on March 13, 2007, and charged with two counts of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and with theft by unauthorized taking. She was convicted and sentenced on April 19, 2007, to pay $1,050 in fines for the three offenses, her criminal record states.
She was born in Connecticut and lived in Brooks before moving to Newburgh, according to the Maine State Bureau of Identification information.
Porter has no criminal record in Maine, his background check showed.
The photo released by police of the couple was taken from Porter’s Facebook page, which lists his residence as Jackson.
“It is possible that Porter and Nowak have traveled out of the state of Maine in the past few days,” Reid said.
Bangor police have asked the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit for assistance, the lieutenant said.
Perdomo is described as a 200-pound Puerto Rican male, 5 feet 11 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt, fatigue shorts and black sneakers.
Perdomo is married and has two children, Rogers said. His wife arrived in Maine on Monday, Edwards said Thursday.
Firefighters from Florida are heading to Maine to assist in any way possible, Seminole County fire Lt. Dave Williams said in a telephone interview Thursday.
“Two of us are going to come up tomorrow,” he said. “We’re just going to see what we can do. More than 20 people have expressed an interest in heading up there.”
Williams said he trained Perdomo when he joined the department back in 2009.
“He’s been the epitome of a firefighter in Seminole County,” the firefighter-paramedic said. “I have a very close bond with him. He’ll do anything at the drop of [a] hat.”
Perdomo, who was visiting friends in Maine, was scheduled to return home to Florida on Thursday night, Feb. 16, and then go back to work three days later, his friend said.
“It’s very uncharacteristic of him to” not contact his family and friends, Williams said. “He thinks the world of his family. He always has a smile on his face and he’d do anything for anyone.”
The visiting firefighters have already scheduled a meeting with area fire crews and plan to hang fliers and do anything that is asked of them.
“We don’t want to do anything to impede” the investigation, Williams said. “We’re coming up there to do foot work. If searchers are needed, … we’ll be ready.”
Those with information about the whereabouts of Perdomo, Porter or Nowak are asked to call the Bangor Police Department at 947-7382.
The department’s anonymous tip line can be reached by pressing ext. 6.
His wife didn’t report him missing before he never showed up for work? I would think someone would notice he was missing before he was supposed to be at work… So weird..
The details that we don’t have would probably explain it. The travel plans probably called for him to spend Friday and Saturday driving back to Florida. She probably started contacting others some time Friday to see if anybody had heard from him. The rental car company would have been notified about their car being picked up. I think details are missing because it seems like a car abandoned in a Walmart parking lot usually would not get noticed until the end of the day. There’s probably more to this story.
If you google Jerry Perdomo you will find some stories from Florida that give a few more details. Apparently he was last seen Weds the 15th. Called or texted home evening of Thurs the 16th. Video shows somebody walking away from the rental car at Walmart 9:15 Friday morning but the quality is too poor to identify the person. I couldn’t find any mention of further details about this couple. If I knew they had been seen since Friday morning I would say they are suspects rather than victims.
Updating this after checking her facebook page. One post Friday evening, three Saturday morning and the last one Sunday at 7:48 PM. The last one is “I miss my loves.”. I wouldn’t speculate that it means she is not with her boyfriend. It could also be referring to pets she left behind.
from one firefighter to another, we risk our lives day in and day out to save peoples lives, homes, and personal belongings. and yet with all the risks and dangers in this job it wasn’t the job that took this man. . . praying for this heros safe return…. we’re here for you brother….
I am not a FF but am a EMT…..wishing for the best!!!
What’s the importance of identifying his profession as a firefighter and EMT? Does that make his disappearance more important than if he was a convenience store clerk? Don’t get me wrong… I have tremendous respect for firefighters and EMT’s….. but I doubt we would ever see the headline “Bangor police looking for couple in connection with missing Florida convenience store clerk”?? Just saying.
I think the reason he’s being described as a firefighter and EMT is giving the public an impression of his level of responsibility to his work etc and that he wouldn’t likely just up and disappear, ditching his job and his life like that.
there are plenty of store clerks, gas pump attendants, common laborers, etc. who have a high level of responsibility to their work and wouldn’t likely just up and disappear, ditching their job and their life like that. Should society base character on their chosen profession?
These reporters do whatever they can to get you to read a headline. The longer the headline with enough words to catch an eye of someone that can relate the more people read it.
I bet “Police looking for missing man” would get half the hits on the website but throw in “Bangor” and “Firefighter” and more people click. Game of numbers for many, many reasons.
But then, reporters have nothing to do with headlines…
nothing like micromanaging,just saying.
they really like the headline mother of twins ,father of twins ?nah never !
I agree with everything you say…except….just saying!
This was added to her facebook page 12 minutes ago. Don’t know if the cops are still looking for her or not.
To all of you whom I do not know: Please stop friending me. I don’t know you. I don’t want to know you. I don’t know what else to do. I’m sorry for your loss. ‘Im sorry your friend is missing. It is a terrible thing. I am so sorry about this. But I can do nothing further. Night.
Interesting that she says “sorry for your loss” and “I am so sorry about this”. It could mean absolutely nothing, just interesting that she uses those phrases.
It could make sense if it was posted after the cops located her, questioned her and let her go. But I doubted they would let her go that soon. I asked if they were still looking for her when I called it in and they said yes. So it appears that she knows why they are looking for her. It’s her use of the words “your loss” that puzzles me the most.
well he is missing/lost, correct?
The phrase “sorry for your loss” isn’t quite the same as “sorry he’s missing/lost”. If she has no idea what happened to him it’s still a very negative and pessimistic choice of words.
I agree, but she could have not really thought it through. I would assume people who are missing for so long are not coming back.. I’m sure shes in shock with all of this as well.
I haven’t been hoping anything sinister has happened. I hope Jerry Perdomo is safe and well.
ok I’m following ….are you??? I’m done discussing sherlock, this is all up to the investigators and family to keep searching and they have many prayers and support from all of us so here’s to the Perdomo’s…we are still holding up 4 you!!!!
You are not following very well. She was questioned and RELEASED. She isn’t involved in anything, plain and simple. There is no running on her part at ALL.
Not really. Sounds like a bunch of people in Florida are friending her to try to talk to her about their missing “friend”. Sounds like she is saying I don’t know where he is and there is nothing I can do. Could be the case.
This girl should be contacting the police and not posting on Facebook. Obviously something is very wrong here. I wonder if the police can get access to her Facebook account.
She has spoke to police.
Oh Def. investigators now-a-days can get access to any or all if their computer/phone activity,after we saw the Casey Anthony trial case unfold here in FL and all the c.s.i. info. and computer experts that spoke…nothing is ever completely deleted from your pc, IF this is something they did. I think, people that are being questioned by police, are inclined to post online as a way to vent whatever their going thru but At least their friends have hopes they are SOMEWHERE alive, as to us, Jerry’s friends & fam. we can only hope to find more info. as to where he even could be,let alone if he’s still alive. Each day makes it harder to think anything good can come out of this, Especially with 2 people,their friends defend as “good people”, are on the run.
Sites like facebook usually put something in their terms of service saying they will provide information without warrant or subpoena in emergency situations like this one.
One of two things going on here. She has already been found and talked to by the police and is now posting that particular post in order to get nosey people who she doesn’t know to stop friending her. She is completely nuts and is involved and now is just being wacko by posting. Oh and one more thing, so I guess thats three things, she has had her account hacked by either a total tool or is being forced to do this by someone else who is involved.
You were right in the beginning part.
Maybe she spoke to police by phone but the person I spoke with at the PD said they were still looking for her. I asked that first because it would be a waste of time to report it if they already had found her. If they weren’t looking for her anymore it seems like they would have told the public by now.
My thoughts are the same…reporters are all over this and would have posted something like that by now 4 sure. She hasn’t talked to police in person yet, doesn’t make sense they’re still looking 4 them. Look maybe SHE didn’t have anything to do with, but she sure as hell should know something …WHY ARE THEY RUNNING??? If they don’t have fingerprints by now or have checked all cameras from every st. corner near by, then what are they doing right? Police has to know more but of course not all is published/disclosed this early on. And they say the pics from Wal-mart are not very clear…they have experts who specialize in fixing clarity issues so hopefully they use them!
I just posted this link in comments for the latest story. Check it out.
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/wftv-talks-mom-woman-who-police-say-had-contact-mi/nKPx5/
You can also check these two that were posted there.
http://www.wesh.com/r/30536929/detail.html
http://www.pressherald.com/news/Couple-questioned-in-missing-firefighter-case-switched-cars.html
So it becomes a little clearer as more details emerge.
Why is it that any posts on Cheyanne’s fb wall start the day before he went missing?? Nothing posted before that day……….
Her fb is FULL of posts almost everyday for years.
They were all private though Vanessa, until the day before he disappeared. Then all of a sudden, they are public…
That’s a very interesting point.
I think its more interesting that nothing was post for five days. 18th of Feb-24th of Feb. This girl is a frequent poster, but stops cold for five days or so…hmm…
What i’m saying is they didn’t stop.
I don’t know anything about any of these people so can someone explain why one person says there are no FB post for 5 days and another is saying “they didn’t stop”.
/confused
She is my best friend. I see everything she posts on facebook, which is regularly and nothing has changed with her facebook that I see. She posts nearly everyday.
I’ve known Jerry since childhood and just want to say, Jerry and fam. you are in all our prayers!
@ Vanessa: I can understand because she’s your’e bff that what you’re saying here is all in their defense but I would keep a low profile until his family and HIS (Jerry’s)friends know more about what the ties to your friends are. If police have indeed already questioned her why is she sorry (u can’t answer that) only speculate, why are they m.i.a. right now (unless u know otherwise), and I would be in the police station defending my innocence, not hiding! It’s all too shady and even though I’m sure not saying our friend has a halo but I know I’d like to see a happy ending for his kids who have no idea where daddy is right now.
I smell internet menage e trois gone baddest !
Should be easy to find these two, just ping there cell phone !
this is one of the most puzzling articles ever, and the comments further muddy the waters. Could all 3 be in danger? What actually tied them all together in the first place. Glad his ff brothers are coming up to do footwork. I hope answers emerge soon in this bizarre sounding situation.