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.