AUBURN, Maine — An Illinois man was charged and arrested Monday afternoon following a police chase in Maine.
Shortly before 12 p.m. Monday, Androscoggin County sheriff's deputies were requested to assist law enforcement agencies in Franklin County who were attempting to stop a man wanted by Farmington police, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.
The man was reportedly wanted for aggravated domestic violence assault, and he was refusing to stop, the post stated.
"A chase started in Franklin County and entered into Androscoggin County as the suspect traveled south on Route 4 into Livermore and then into Turner," the sheriff's office said. "As the chase continued deputies attempted to deploy a tire deflation device or spike mats, in an attempt to terminate the chase however the suspect was able to avoid them."
From that point on, Androscoggin County deputies took over the chase from Franklin County agencies, and the chase continued southbound on Route 4 and into the city of Auburn. Auburn police were also notified of the chase, according to the post.
Another tire-deflating device was set up on Center Street in Auburn near the Chevrolet and Toyota car dealerships, and according to deputies, it was successful.
"The suspect vehicle left the roadway and struck a utility pole in front of the Chevrolet dealership in what appeared to be a deliberate act," deputies said. "Traffic in this area of Center Street was affected for approximately an hour."
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Cesar Vergara, of Cicero, Illinois, was taken into custody. He was operating a black 2015 GMC Acadia registered in Illinois. The front end of the vehicle was damaged in the crash, and it was towed from the scene, the post stated.
"In addition to the domestic violence charges from Franklin County, Vergara will also be facing felony charges of eluding a law enforcement officer and passing a roadblock here in Androscoggin County," the sheriff's office said Monday.
No additional details were released.