BELFAST, Maine — A Rockland man spent three days in jail after Belfast police allegedly caught him violating a protection order early Saturday morning when they found him at Belfast City Park with a woman he’s not legally allowed to contact.
A Belfast police officer noticed a vehicle in the park about midnight and asked the two people inside for identification. No vehicles are allowed in the park after 11 p.m., Detective Sgt. Bryan Cunningham explained Monday.
The man, who later was found to be Theodore Berry, 24, gave the officer a fake name, date of birth and address, police said. The officer asked the driver for her name, and when he ran it through the system he learned that she was a protected person.
Cunningham said the officer could access a photograph of the person she was being protected from, and he learned it was her passenger.
“He confessed his true identity,” Cunningham said.
The protection order stemmed from May 10, when Berry was arrested in Rockland and charged with domestic violence assault. The Rockland man, who came within 35 votes of being elected to the Rockland City Council last November, initially represented himself and asked the court to seal any documents pertaining to his criminal case.
Judge Patricia Worth, however, rejected his request.
Berry was arrested Saturday and charged with violating his conditions of release from the prior offense and failure to give his correct name, address and date of birth, both misdemeanor charges. He was taken to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, and was arraigned on Monday afternoon by videoconference. Bail was set at $500 cash, according to his attorney, Thomas Connolly of Portland. Berry was expected to make bail and be released by the end of the day on Monday, Connolly said.
The attorney said his client has refused the Knox County district attorney’s offer of a deferred disposition in the case, which is scheduled for a docket call on Nov. 2.
“Technical violations of bail conditions occur all the time. They are serious, but there’s a continuum of seriousness,” Connolly said Monday afternoon. “Being reached out to is very different than [unwanted contact]. Nonetheless, it’s still a potential crime.”