Three Suspects Caught After I-295 Chase and Crash in Richmond

A pre-dawn pursuit on Interstate 295 ended in a crash near Richmond's Exit 43 early March 12, and what followed was a nearly eight-hour, multi-agency manhunt that stretched from a KO Storage unit on Route 197 to the woods along Post Road in Bowdoinham before all three suspects were finally in handcuffs.

Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office deputies were called around 12:30 a.m. to assist Maine State Police and the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office, which had been pursuing a vehicle southbound on I-295. When the vehicle went off the road and crashed near Exit 43, three occupants bolted on foot in different directions.

Two state troopers and two Sagadahoc County deputies began working the corridor along Route 197, which runs through several commercial properties north of the crash site. At approximately 3:30 a.m., Trooper Zach Kindelan was checking KO Storage when he found an unlocked unit. Deputies Alex Faith and Dan Ouellette searched inside and discovered one suspect who was wet and cold. He was transported to Maine General Medical Center for evaluation.

The search for the other two continued through the early morning hours. Just after 8 a.m., Sgt. Ian Alexander spotted a man crouched near the woodline of I-295 around mile marker 40. Deputy Chad Carleton responded with K-9 Jordy, who picked up a scent trail, turned up a cell phone during the track, and pushed west through the woods before emerging at Post Road in Bowdoinham. While Carleton and Jordy were working the track, Deputy Matt Fischer spotted a man jogging south on Post Road and detained him in his cruiser. Jordy tracked directly to the cruiser and confirmed the seated man was his subject.

The third suspect surfaced through a civilian tip. A school bus driver called in a report of a man walking south on Ridge Road in Bowdoinham wearing a shirt, shorts and no shoes. With deputies occupied on Post Road, Richmond Police Chief James Donnell responded to Ridge Road and detained the individual.

All three men carried Venezuelan IDs and did not speak English. Authorities said they were from out of state. They were turned over to the Augusta Police Department as suspects in a criminal theft case, with charges expected.

The Richmond Police Department, Topsham Police Department, and Augusta Police Department also assisted in the operation. No officers were reported injured. Suspects' names have not been released, and formal charges from Augusta had not been announced as of publication.