Livermore Falls burglary interrupted; dog tracks intruders

LIVERMORE FALLS, Maine — A local man is facing charges after a police dog tracked him from the scene of a burglary on Church Street to a Jay residence early Sunday morning.

Alexander Ryerson, 20, of Jay, faces charges of burglary, criminal mischief, violation of condition of release and refusal to submit to arrest, Officer Stephen Gould of the Livermore Falls Police Department said.

A juvenile female was also charged with burglary and criminal mischief, but was referred to a juvenile probation office and released to her parents, he said.

The homeowner, who lived on the first floor of the Church Street home, was at work when the upstairs tenant heard a noise at about 1:15 a.m. Sunday. She thought it was a cat and walked downstairs where she was confronted by a man who took off through the door, Gould said. The female came out of the kitchen with a hammer in her hand but she also fled through the door.

The tenant was not harmed and provided police with a description.

Police tracked footprints from the home heading toward Knapp Street, he said. They called Franklin County Sheriff’s Department for a tracking dog.

Deputy David Rackliffe and his dog followed the tracks to the Jay house where police recovered evidence and questioned the pair.

While police were arresting Ryerson, he bolted, but Rackliffe let his dog loose and the dog stopped him. Ryerson was charged with refusal to submit to arrest.

Both were charged with criminal mischief because they broke a window beside the door to get the home unlocked, he said.

Police believe they were attempting to take the homeowner’s computer, but were interrupted.

The tenant told police the homeowner had hired Ryerson to do some shoveling Saturday and they had had a verbal confrontation.

While police were looking for the pair, a Jay police officer spotted someone they suspected a few streets from the burglary. As they questioned him, Damon Rodzen, 27, Livermore Falls, gave police reason to charge him with disorderly conduct, Gould said.

Both men were transported to Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn.

Jay police officers Russell Adams and Michael Booker helped at the scene, Gould said.