FARMINGTON — A Canadian teenager accused of driving through a U.S. border crossing and ramming a federal agent’s vehicle Oct. 14 will face more charges once all police reports are received, an assistant district attorney said Wednesday.
Zachary Wittke, 16, of Eganville, Ontario, sat beside his attorney, Christopher Berryment of Mexico, for what turned out to be a status conference rather than a detention hearing in Juvenile Court.
“The state is still reviewing evidence as we receive it,” Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins told Judge Nancy Carlson. He said he is expecting more reports from Maine State Police, hopefully next week, and will provide them to Berryment.
Carlson set a detention hearing for Nov. 15.
Wittke will continue to be held at Mountain View Youth Development Center in Charleston.
He entered denials Oct. 15 to charges of eluding an officer, passing a roadblock, aggravated criminal mischief and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
He is accused of driving a car stolen from Canada across the U.S. border in Coburn Gore early on Oct. 14 and leading police on a 50-mile chase at speeds of up to 100 mph down Route 27. He is accused of blowing through roadblocks, driving over spike mats and ramming a U.S. Border Patrol agent’s vehicle, injuring the agent. Another agent fired shots at the fleeing car, police previously said, but no one was hurt.
Wittke and his passenger, a 13-year-old girl from Ontario, were injured when they abandoned the stolen truck in Kingfield, jumped over a guardrail, went down a rocky embankment and landed in the Carrabassett River.
The girl was taken to a Portland hospital, Robbins said. She has not been charged.
She told state police at the hospital that the pair were going to visit friends in New Brunswick and a GPS led them to the Maine border, which is the most direct route.
Outside the courtroom, Robbins said he heard the girl has returned to Canada, but has not confirmed that.
Wittke is on probation in Canada and has warrants out for his arrest there, Robbins previously said.
“I want to get him back to Canada as quickly as possible,” Berryment said after the court appearance. “Canada and the state of Maine both share the philosophy that juveniles need rehabilitation rather than focusing on punishment and Canada is the place for that to happen.”
dperry@sunjournal.com
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