AUGUSTA (AP) — A man cleared of a drunken driving charge at his trial on Thursday was arrested Saturday morning on a new charge of operating under the influence.
Authorities say 21-year-old Jose Jesus Tapia-Smith, of Augusta, is charged with operating under the influence, eluding police, driving to endanger and operating a vehicle while his license was suspended or revoked.
The Kennebec Journal reports that the incident began at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday in Augusta, when Tapia-Smith allegedly failed to pull over when an officer activated his blue lights.
The vehicle finally stopped on Route 104 and he was placed under arrest.
Tapia-Smith’s bail is set at $7,500 cash and he remains in custody at the Kennebec County jail in Augusta.
It was not immediately known if he has a lawyer.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less