HOULTON, Maine — An escapee from a Louisiana detention center was taken into custody Saturday night after fleeing the Houlton Port of Entry earlier that day.
Benjamin Gottke, 43, had been at large since last Thursday after escaping from the Tensas Parish Detention Center in Waterproof, La., and stealing a backup police cruiser.
According to a report by Lindsey Shelton in the Natchez Democrat’s Saturday online edition, Gottke was serving time for simple burglary and had about nine months left on his sentence.
At the time of his escape, he was working as a trusty in the sheriff’s office kitchen and was soon going to be eligible for work release.
According to Michelle Benson-Fuller, spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an individual presented himself at the Houlton port Saturday afternoon just after 2:30 p.m. driving a vehicle with Louisiana license plates.
It is unknown, she said, whether the driver was heading in or out of this country.
“It was unclear what direction he was going,” Benson-Fuller said late Saturday night. “When he came into contact he was trying to get into the lane coming into the United States but he could have been going north and then turned around in between the two ports.”
Sunday morning Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin said it appeared Gottke was planning on entering Canada in the stolen, unmarked police cruiser.
“He may have gotten to the port quicker than he expected,” Asselin said. “When he went to turn around in ‘no-man’s-land’ between the two ports [CBP] was going to do a secondary check and he took off.”
When CBP officials asked for Gottke’s identification at the Houlton port, Benson-Fuller said, he indicated he did not have any or a registration for the vehicle.
“When he was asked to turn off the car he accelerated and ran the port heading south on I-95,” Benson-Fuller said. “We contacted the state police and our law enforcement partners to undertake a search as we normally do to locate a suspect.”
Members of the U.S. Border Patrol, working with air support and a K-9 unit, located the vehicle abandoned at Irving Big Stop in Houlton about an hour later. Asselin said it appeared Gottke had fled on foot.
“He crossed both lanes of the interstate on foot,” he said. “His goal was to get into Canada on foot.”
Asselin said his department got word out to the public through local media asking residents to keep a lookout for the escaped prisoner.
“We started to get some calls that he was seen on Elm Street,” Asselin said. “Then someone driving heard the broadcast and spotted someone who matched the description and came in to the police station to report it.”
Gottke was subsequently located on the corner of Park and High Streets.
When he was approached by law enforcement officers, Asselin said, Gottke resisted arrest and police used a Taser on him twice before placing him into custody.
Gottke is facing charges in Maine as a fugitive from justice and resisting arrest as well as charges in Louisiana of simple escape and theft of a vehicle.
He is being held in the Aroostook County Jail and Asselin said he anticipates Gottke will be arraigned later this week.
“It sounded like he’d been planning this escape for awhile,” Asselin said. “His jail garb was found in the cruiser and he stole that car July 12 and made it all the way to Houlton.”
Benson-Fuller said the arrest of Gottke was the result of all northern Maine law enforcement personnel doing their jobs, including those with Customs and Border Protection.
“We have highly trained officers and agents and whenever there is an issue of safety they want to make sure we are protected,” she said.
Primary officers in the arrest were Houlton Officer Charles Wampler III, Sgt. Fred Parker, Sgt. Eric Crouse and Officer Theron Bickford.
Good job. What a difference between the northern and southern border.
Big difference between the two borders there isn’t much action going on at the northern borders compared to the southern borders.
That’s right–they aren’t too concerned about all the Canadians fleeing their healthcare system as much as the Mexicans fleeing poverty and drug wars.
Maybe because at the end of the day, the Canadians go back home….on their own.
Or running to our welfare system for that matter.
Actually illegal immigrants are not allowed benefits. Please review TANF and SNAP at our local .gov site and or the state you are mentioning. You are misinformed.
You are right. Mexico probably will send a check for all the anchor babies born here every year. Don’t forget the in-state tuition and free schooling. How about the illegals we feed and house in our jails and prisons? Or the ones that use someone’s name and social security number to get benefits? Or the one’s who claim they were born here etc etc etc… you’re right.
Mexico probably will send a check for all the anchor babies born here every year. — Do you have numbers on this issue or is it just a feeling?
Don’t forget the in-state tuition and free schooling.
— I have found no data nor information on this matter. Can you define the statement above, clearly, so that I can review relevant information on the matter.
How about the illegals we feed and house in our jails and prisons?
— We house the largest prison system in the world, it is presently at 800,000 people. 40,000 dollars a head per year. I doubt that has much to do with prisoners from other countries and more to do with how our country processes crime.
The ones [Latino and or Mexicans] that use someone’s name and social security number to get benefits?
— Where are the numbers on this? I am looking up peer review journals and so far have found nothing to support a large concern on this matter by any institute, conservative or liberal. It does appear that illegal immigrants use fake numbers that no one checks on, employers who know they can pay for lower wages, but nothing else has shown up.
The one’s who claim they were born here etc etc etc… you’re right.
– You already stated anchor babies.
I know I am right. You know that I am right. You wish you were right. It is frustrating to having feelings with no actual evidence to support those feelings. This is a suggestion for future arguments: Your sarcasm is not sarcasm, it is infantile behavior, it is peevish and gives no credit to you the individual. How much do you really know, versus what you wish was true?
I’m not interested in getting into a
debate via the comments but I’ll give you a taste of what you asked
for. I will say this first…
To some extent I respect your comment.
At least you made an effort to look for an answer though I’m
confident that you (like me) would not have been swayed by anything
less than overwhelming evidence in support of the oppositions
position. Naturally there is no such thing either way, I think even
you would admit there are limits to attainable research data
reference some topics. Sort of like when liberals kept throwing fits
about voter ID laws, screaming that “there has never been a problem
in Maine to support the change…” Of course there has never been
a documented case, we weren’t officially looking for it. We put a
miniscule effort in place to find this problem and poof! Wouldn’t
you know, we now have several cases and convictions with smallest of
efforts. When the we “officially” are not actually looking at the
problem, there will be little to no data.
However here is a taste of some actual
data for you.
The Government Accountability Office
reports the number of criminal aliens in federal prisons in fiscal
year 2010 was about 55,000 with additional 296,000 in state prisons.
Using your number of $40,000 per person, we could have saved
$3,510,000 in tax dollars if we only stopped a quarter of them from
getting here. That’s for one year, most of these guys are doing hard
time, 20+ years….
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-187
I’m certain you think you are right.
I’m certain you are not. You are trying to argue that it never
happens. You want evidence that it is happening, I want convincing data that says its NOT happening.
Nah, never mind…
Thanks for at least trying to base your
comments on facts rather than emotion.
June was busting out all over. Now in July it’s the jailbirds that are busting out all over the place. We had our own 3 guys from Maine & this Louisiana import makes 4.
Houlton though really, could you not escape to a better area then there
Really? He was in Louisiana. Houlton certainly wouldn’t be a step down.
rude comment. where do you live?
If you consider it rude then flag it, but i can tell you i did not say anything rude and im from Houlton originally thank you , that is why i said Houlton really
im sure you’re missed in houlton
No i do not miss it, but thank you for asking. I am much happier being here with my businesses and apartments and making money with what houlton has to offer. Peace out Oldlogger
peace
so let me get this straight. We (the tax payers) pay for all these expensive vehicles for them to patrol in so they feel like real law enforcement. But, when it comes time for them to actually catch a real criminal, they dont go after the guy. What do we waste buying them for if they dont leave the port. It is the same here in Lubec. If something happens and they can or wont do anything they call the S.P. or the sheriffs that can take up to 2 hours to get a response (not their fault). What if this guy wasn’t caught and was roaming the streets. What if he was a Terrorist…they are just gonna let them speed away. What a joke? Glad I am retired from the military because in my day, we caught our own fish. Over paid security guards…
Customs Officers don’t have law enforcement authority outside of the Ports of Entry. Not their fault, blame that one on bad legislation…
Ohh and thank you Houlton PD…AGAIN!!!
Let’s hope he didn’t hurt anybody in order to get this far. I’m wondering how he got gasoline and clothing.
It is better then watching tv and eating chips (IMO). Everyone has a right and an opinion. I have one too and will share it how I see fit. The response towards Bangorbully only took me twenty minutes to write. I do not see how oppression and the views of oppression can not be challenged. I will admit, I love to argue, I love to debate and do not see an issue with my ability. The ability to make people aware of information that is not correct nor accurate. I am versed in research and can review it easily and quickly. I love to be challenged, so please challenge me again when the mood strikes you. I do not agree, but appreciate, your opinion of me. Most narcissistic people can not stand to be challenged, when, I love to be challenged. My brain is an organ and I exercise it often, everyone should, it’s good for ya. I am notified when I have replies, I was pleasantly surprised to read yours. Thanks again.
I respect and appreciate your response. Good day Sir.
This guy got caught because he didn’t know where he was. He got here from Louisiana in a stolen backup police cruiser, which must have had some markings on it, without being stopped. He was found due to his own stupidity, not due to vigilant police work by any department in his approximately 2000 mile ride. The local police should not be patting themselves on the back here as he had allready driven through Houlton.
At the time of his escape, he was working as a trusty in the sheriff’s office kitchen and was soon going to be eligible for work release.
The word is spelled “trustee”.
Trusty
Noun 1. A convict regarded as worthy of trust and therefore granted special privileges.
Just came to Maine for some affordable bath salts.
Thank you Border Patrol. Good job everyone, no citizens injured and the criminal caught. Maybe he should of headed South with his “escape”
How come the border patrol does not have a way to stop vehicles that try and run the border. The first time I remember there were two kids that made it to Sherman. This time he made it to Irving big stop and his vehicle was found 1 hour later. I am glad he was found, but some way to stop vehicles till they are approved to go through would seem in order, or maybe a border patrol agent in a vehicle waiting for something like this to happen so he can give chase. I am all for spending all this money to stop terrorists and other threats but a better more planned out policy for the stopping of vehicles should be in order.