PORTLAND, Maine — A month after police warned residents that a Portland man with an extensive criminal history would be released from prison, the man was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly threatening police and mental health workers with a knife and then using the knife to cut off the ankle monitor he wore as part of his probation.
Steven Ricci, 51, was arrested about 4 p.m. Thursday, according to a release from Lt. James Sweatt of the Portland Police Department.
He was charged with two counts of Class C felony criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon after allegedly threatening a behavioral health coordinator from the Portland Police Department and a mental health liaison while meeting with them for a prescheduled visit at his home.
Ricci then allegedly used the knife to cut off the GPS tracking monitor he wore on his ankle as part of his probation conditions.
In early November, Portland police went door to door in Ricci’s Brighton Avenue neighborhood, warning residents that Ricci was due to be released on probation from the Windham Correctional Facility after serving two years.
Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck told WMTW at the time, “Ricci is a high-risk to reoffend. We are concerned for the safety of the public. He can be disruptive, and he can be violent.”
Ricci was arrested in July 2013 and charged with unlawful sexual touching after allegedly assaulting a staff member at a Portland hospital where he was being treated.
Ricci’s criminal history dates back to the 1990s. In 2011 he was arrested and convicted of masturbating in front of a woman on the Fore River trail.
In March 2012, Ricci was arrested for violating his curfew by going on a late-night pizza run while out on probation for that conviction. Just two weeks later, he was arrested for allegedly exposing himself to two adults with young children, again on the Fore River Trail.
In August 2012, Ricci was arrested after allegedly masturbating on his porch, according to the Bangor Daily News archives. He was wearing only his underwear at the time and standing about 20 feet from the view of traffic, police said.
That arrest occurred shortly after his release from jail after serving a seven-month sentence for disorderly conduct.
Ricci suffered a “minor laceration” on his ankle during the incident on Thursday, police said. He was taken to Cumberland County Jail to await arraignment. The investigation was forwarded to Maine Probation and Parole for review, according to the release.
To reach a sexual assault advocate, call the Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 800-871-7741, TTY 888-458-5599. This free and confidential 24-hour service is accessible from anywhere in Maine. Calls are automatically routed to the closest sexual violence service provider.