Lincoln County Grand Jury

Alleged attempted escape leads to felony charges

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 8:15am

The Lincoln County Grand Jury has indicted an Augusta man on a felony charge after he reportedly tried to escape from a hospital.

Billy Joe Perry, 41, of Augusta was indicted on two charges alleging he attempted to avoid capture by “bolting” from a hospital in December 2014.

Sgt. Brendan Kane with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an intoxicated man on the side of the road in Damariscotta. When Kane approached the man, who was later identified as Perry, Kane wrote that Perry was allegedly intoxicated.

Perry reportedly told Kane that he was on probation, and Kane spoke to Perry's probation officer who reportedly asked that a test be performed on Perry.

Perry was sent to Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta where he allegedly had a 0.25 percent blood alcohol content.

While he was still at the hospital, Perry allegedly “bolted,” according to Kane's report, before being captured.

For that, Perry was charged with Class B escape and Class D refusing to submit to arrest. Class B crimes are felonies, and are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine, while Class D crimes are misdemeanors, and are punishable by up to 364 days in jail, and up to a $2,000 fine.