The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a Portland man, Aaron L. Tanguay, 23, of 54 Maple St., who eluded two deputies early Friday morning along Route 302 in Naples and Bridgton and then broke into a chamber of commerce office.

According to Capt. Don Goulet, a sheriff’s deputy was traveling south on Route 302 in Naples when he met a vehicle traveling at him at 100 mph in the middle of the road. The deputy attempted to catch up with the vehicle and observed it nearly strike a tractor-trailer on the Naples Causeway.

The deputy lost sight of the vehicle as it traveled toward Bridgton at more than 100 mph. Another deputy was able to set up in the area of the Bridgton Drive-In movie theater and deploy his spike mats. The suspect’s vehicle struck the spike mats and continued on toward downtown Bridgton. The vehicle was located about 30 seconds later crashed into the sign at R.G. Johnson Sporting Goods at 192 Bridgton Road. The operator was then seen running from the vehicle.

A sheriff’s K-9 team responded to the scene in a failed attempt to locate the operator. Deputies also learned during that time that the vehicle had been stolen out of Portland.

According to Bridgton police, Tanguay entered the Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce office on Route 302, near the accident location, at about 8:30 a.m. The suspect was confronted by chamber employees and painters who were outside the building and heard the commotion, and fled on foot. An officer located the suspect a short distance away and detained him.

Tanguay was charged in Bridgton with burglary, theft and criminal trespass and it was discovered he also had an outstanding probation warrant. Tanguay was transported to Cumberland County Jail where the Sheriff’s Department and Portland Police will also be charging him with various violations related to the stolen car and chase.

Aaron Tanguay