Suspect arrested in grocery store vandalism

Arrest and incident reports are collected from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Bucksport Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies. Arrests are not convictions, and all suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

By Jessica Hardy

The front doors of Burnt Cove Market were smashed in the vandalism. Photo by Jessica Hardy.

Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a suspect in the vandalism of Burnt Cove Market in Stonington.

The vandalism at the grocery store occurred in the early morning hours of March 1. The front door had been shattered, and multiple vehicles in the parking lot sustained damage, including slashed tires, authorities said.

Mark Vallejos of Deer Isle was arrested after sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at his house. Photo courtesy of Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

The report from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect caused thousands of dollars in damage "before brandishing a firearm and fleeing the scene.”

Four detectives spent 17 hours locating and arresting the suspect, Mark Vallejos 41, of Deer Isle, Lt. Dakota Dupuis told The Rising Tide. 

Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at Vallejos’s home, where he was arrested on charges of aggravated criminal mischief and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, police said. He was transported to Hancock County Jail to await arraignment.

“[It's] a tragic thing that happened and impacted all of you. We obviously made that a priority to put all hands on it to come to a solution,” Lt. Dakota Dupuis said at Stonington’s annual town meeting on March 2.

Burnt Cove Market was closed on March 1 and 2 but reopened its doors on March 2.

Bucksport

On Feb. 20, Officer Trevor Luna cited six people on charges of speeding on the River Road.

Officer Robert Findlay was called to a local business on Feb. 22 after drugs were found. The owner of the medication was located shortly thereafter.

Officer Trevor Luna was called to the scene of a parking incident on Feb. 22, but the offending vehicle left before he arrived.

On Feb. 22, Daniel Barca, 40, of Bucksport, was arrested by Sgt. Darrin Moody on a domestic violence assault charge. Barca was transported to Hancock County Jail.

Local 5th graders participated in DARE programming led by Officer Eric Marcel on Feb. 24.

A stray dog was picked up by Animal Control Officer Autumn Bishop on Feb. 24. Thankfully, the owner was soon found.

Officer Trevor Luna responded to a suspicious person report on Feb. 25. No further details were provided.

On Feb. 25, an abandoned vehicle was reported on Main Street in front of Fort View Dental. Officer Matt Schmidt responded.

Veronica Avila, 17, of Bucksport, was traveling east on Millvale Road on Feb. 25 when she hit slick road conditions and lost control of the back end of her car. After trying to correct the vehicle’s trajectory, the car crossed into the westbound lane, flipped, and landed on its roof in a ditch. No injuries were reported.

Slippery road conditions led to a fender bender on Feb. 25 when Mileena Harrigan, 19, of Bucksport, stopped to let a pedestrian cross. Bruce Sullivan, 62, of Stockton Springs was traveling in the car behind her and following too closely. Sullivan was not able to stop in time and into Harrigan’s vehicle. No injuries were reported.

On Feb. 26, Nicholas Cody, 32, of Orland went into the Family Dollar, leaving a 16-year old passenger waiting in his vehicle. While Cody was inside, Mark Provost, 63, of Orland entered the parking lot and hit Cody’s parked car; the vehicle sustained significant damage. Provost fled the scene and Cody’s car was soon towed away. Provost was later found at home; Sergeant Daniel Harlan charged him with leaving the scene of a property damage accident.

On Feb. 26, a resident requested Deputy Police Chief David Winchester’s help in disposing of ammunition.

Daniel Barca, 40 of Bucksport, was arrested for a Violation of Condition of Release on Feb. 26.

On Feb. 27, Officer Jesse Dow responded to a reported theft. The incident remains under investigation.

Ayden Maguire, 19, of Bucksport was summonsed for illegal transportation of alcohol on Feb. 28.