NAPLES, Maine — A 38-year-old Casco man is being held at Cumberland County Jail without bail on Tuesday after police say he assaulted his ex-girlfriend, grabbed a knife and challenged a deputy to shoot him, then led deputies on an eight-mile chase before he was placed under arrest Monday night.
Ernesto Nieves faces one charge of felony aggravated criminal trespass and misdemeanor charges of domestic violence assault, simple assault and refusing to submit to arrest, according to a release from Capt. Scott Stewart of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived at a Winslow Road home just before 9:30 p.m. Monday for a report of a domestic disturbance, Nieves allegedly fled out a back door.
The resident reported that Nieves, her ex-boyfriend, had assaulted her and another person, Stewart said.
A deputy later found Nieves walking, allegedly intoxicated, on Lambs Mills Road, but when Nieves was told he was being arrested, he allegedly “brandished a knife” and challenged the deputy to shoot him, stating he was “not going down without a fight.”
Before other deputies arrived, Nieves ran into the woods with the knife, according to Stewart.
Deputies and Maine State Police troopers, with a police dog from the sheriff’s office, allegedly tracked Nieves through the woods for more than eight miles before finding him in the middle of the Naples Golf Course on Route 114.
Nieves allegedly resisted arrest, but was ultimately taken into custody and taken to Cumberland County Jail.
A court date was not immediately available on Tuesday.
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.