PORTLAND, Maine — The alleged victim of a homicide that took place on Wednesday morning has been identified, and a Lewiston man has been charged with murder in connection with his death.
Nicholas Blake, 37, of Lewiston, was found dead at a residence on River Street shortly before 7:30 p.m, according to a news release issued Friday evening by the Maine Department of Public Safety. His death was ruled a homicide following an autopsy conducted Thursday by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Police at the time were responding to a complaint about a robbery, the release stated.
Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit and members of the Maine State Police Evidence Response team investigated the scene on Thursday, which led to the arrest of Barry Zollarcoffer, 47, who also lives on River Street.
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Zollarcoffer was charged with murder and is being held without bail until his scheduled appearance next week at the Androscoggin County Superior Court, according to the release.
The Lewiston Police Department and Rumford Police Department also aided in the investigation.
The incident is causing concern for those in the neighborhood. One resident, Joseph Cyr, told NEWS CENTER Maine on Thursday that he has lived in Lewiston for much of his life but recently moved to the area around River Street.
"We've been seriously thinking about possibly moving out. We're gonna wait and see how things go. If this continues at this rate, we're pretty sure to look for another place," Cyr said.
Cyr added that a number of families live in the area with young children. Faumo Maalim lives on River Street with her young family.
"It's scary, you know? We didn't get time to sleep. I hope we're going to feel safe and comfortable for our kids to go outside," Maalim said.