The trial of a Sanford man charged with causing a Wells woman’s fatal heart attack during a burglary attempt in March 2015, originally slated to begin this week, has been delayed until August, according to court documents.
Carlton Young, 24, was indicted by a York County Grand Jury on June 7, 2016 on a charge of felony murder in connection with a 2015 burglary attempt in Wells when Connie Loucks, 62, suffered a fatal cardiac event after two suspects attempted to enter her home.
Young entered a not guilty plea.
The trial was scheduled to begin March 19, but Young’s attorney, Amy Fairfield of Fairfield & Associates in Lyman filed a motion for further discovery on March 2 in York County Superior Court.
Jury selection will begin on Aug. 14, 2018 and the trial will start on Aug. 22.
A charge of felony murder can be brought when an individual, in committing, or attempting to commit, a crime, or flees a crime, in fact causes the death of a person and the death “is a reasonably foreseeable consequence of such commission, attempt or flight,” according to Maine statute.
Authorities say Loucks suffered a heart attack on March 22, 2015 after Young allegedly knocked on her door and windows when four burglary suspects returned to her Wire Road home a second time after stealing jewelry the previous day when the home was unoccupied.
Young, along with Brian Cerullo, 26, of Alfred, Cathy Carle, 23, of Sanford, and Marissa Vieira, 24, also of Sanford, were indicted in July 2015 by a York County grand jury. Carle was charged, by indictment, with eight counts of burglary, six counts of theft and one count of attempted burglary. Cerullo was charged with eight counts of burglary, eight counts of theft, and one count of attempted burglary. Vieira was charged with five counts of burglary, five counts of theft and one count of attempted burglary. Young was charged with eight counts of burglary, eight counts of theft and a charge of criminal trespass of a dwelling in Sanford.
All four of the suspects allegedly participated in the March 2015 burglary and theft at the Loucks home on Wire Road in Wells. No one was home at the time of the burglary and the home was unlocked, according to a police affidavit. Connie Loucks later discovered several pieces of jewelry had been taken from her home and went to Wells Police to report the theft the next morning. Her husband later told police that the value of the missing items was more than $10,000.
About two hours after reporting the theft to police, Loucks called Officer Mark Rogers and said she believed the burglars had returned. She said they were banging on the door and windows and when she asked them what they wanted they said they were looking for “Billy,” the affidavit states. The actions were consistent with what Rogers had told Loucks earlier might be a burglar’s “modus operandi” for determining if anyone was home.
Nine minutes after Connie Loucks’ call, her daughter called the Wells Police, according to the affidavit. She said she had been on the phone with her mother who was talking about two men being at her house when the phone line went dead.
Two police officers went to Loucks’ home to check on her well-being. They observed Loucks lying on her couch and when she did not respond, they forced their way into the home. The officers attempted to revive Loucks, but she did not respond. Wells paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
The medical examiner’s office determined Loucks had died from heart disease.
So far, Young is the only one of the four suspects charged in connection with Loucks’ death.
Young has been held at the York County Jail since his arrest. His bail is set at $10,000, according to a jail official.
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