AUGUSTA, Maine — A Mount Vernon man who tried to escape from custody, and his mother, who helped him, were arrested Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Ernest Gagnon, 29, was arrested by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday and charged with theft of a motor vehicle, Sheriff Randall Liberty said in a statement.
After reportedly confessing to the crime, Gagnon asked to speak with his mother, Brenda Choate, 46. Liberty said Gagnon and Choate were monitored visually and with audio in the interview room at the sheriff’s office.
“He indicated to his mother that he was going to escape,” said Liberty. “She helped him make a phone call to a friend and they made a plan to have her distract the deputies as he fled out of a window.
“Gagnon popped the screen of the window and was halfway out when deputies intervened and transported him to the Kennebec County Correctional Facility,” said Liberty.
For her role, Choate was arrested for aiding in an escape and released on $200 bail. Gagnon had attempted escape added to his charges.
Gagnon initially was arrested in connection with the theft of a 2005 Toyota 4Runner from a Mount Vernon residence earlier in the month. Liberty said Gagnon confessed to the theft. He said he had been using the 4Runner to haul scrap metal to junkyards and then dumped the vehicle in a field in Canaan, stripped off the tires and rims and abandoned it.
Liberty said Gagnon has an extensive criminal history in Maine, including convictions for assault on an officer, burglary, failing to report an accident, two thefts, receiving stolen property and violating conditions of release.
Gagnon was also on probation in Virginia. He was convicted of grand larceny and auto theft on Aug. 31, 2010. He received a 10-year sentence with all but two years suspended. Liberty said the Commonwealth of Virginia has indicated it is filing for a revocation of his probation.
Career criminal!
Is is just me, or are criminals getting more dumb by the minute.
hey mom help me escape from jail will ya please ma… i think the kid can get another 5 years for that i wonder what mom will get she will not be bringing money for him to jail i bet but they can write
Mother of the year!
Excellent parenting skills at work!
Same for his granny if her daughter is up the pole at 16. Where is daddy?
lol……..
She raised a Brain Surgeon.
What’s wrong with this guy? Just when he was turning his life around too.
“Virginia has indicated it is filing for a revocation of his probation.” If we can ship him back there hopefully Mom will follow.
I was going to say something pithy but …
This is just another prime example of bad, bad parenting. If she doesn’t know right from wrong then he won’t either. When you think your son has a good idea about a jail break … well you all know the rest.
Until Maine voters and taxpayers perceive themselves as primary consumers of the criminal justice system , own the system and create volunteer civilian review police boards with subpoena powers
to set standards of performance for these electronic cesspools called prisons and the rest of the criminal justice arena then keep paying taxes to warehouse this perp in the Maine State prison
at a cost to you of $56,000/00 a year
Folks the inmates are running the asylum you own and are killing you softly with your own tax dime.
Who said crime was not good for the people running the system, eh?
I’d like to see the show”America’s Dumbest Criminals come to Maine.There’s enough “talent” here to keep the show running for years to come!
Escape? Mom got out for $200 bucks, don’t have to pull out the screen, just ask for bail and walk out, you might break a nail pulling up the window! Please people, don’t mess up the Court house, just ask for bail and walk out with the rest of the scum!