HOLDEN, Maine — A local man was arrested Wednesday after a neighbor called the police to report that he was assaulting his girlfriend.
Dustin Nickerson, 28, also allegedly threatened to punch the neighbor when she tried to intervene, Holden police Sgt. Chris Greeley said Thursday.
The series of events that led to Nickerson’s arrest began shortly after 4:30 p.m., when Greeley was called to Cedar Haven Mobile Home Park on U.S. Route 1A to look into a report that a domestic violence assault was taking place.
When Greeley arrived, the neighbor said she could see Nickerson choking his girlfriend through a smashed bedroom window. When Greeley interviewed them, however, both the suspect and the victim denied an assault had taken place, he said.
Greeley said they told him that the girlfriend had been having a seizure and that Nickerson was trying to help her. They also said the window was broken because the girlfriend struck it with her head during the alleged seizure, Greeley added.
According to Greeley, Nickerson had a cut on one of his fingers. His girlfriend had red marks on her neck, he said.
Greeley said that Holden police have been called to Nickerson’s residence on numerous occasions for fights and disorderly conduct, but this was the first incident that led to an arrest.
Nickerson is charged with domestic violence assault, criminal threatening and disorderly conduct. He remained at Penobscot County Jail on Thursday night, unable to make his $2,000 cash bail, Greeley said.
Nickerson is scheduled to appear at the Penobscot Judicial Center on Friday, he said.
Greeley said that Brewer police assisted him.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.