A 47-year-old Easton man has been arrested in connection with the alleged assault of a woman on the State Road in Mapleton.

Aroostook County Sheriff's Office
Aroostook County Sheriff's Office
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Shortly before 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a man was holding a woman by the hair and driving down the road with the vehicle door open. Sheriff Darrell Crandall said the caller stated he had tried to intervene and rescue the woman, but was unsuccessful. The caller, who was not identified, provided a detailed description of the people and vehicle involved. All area law enforcement agencies were promptly notified and the Sheriff’s Office began coordinating a detailed search of the surrounding area, Crandall said.

Two hours from the time of the call, Border Patrol agents reported they had stopped the vehicle at the intersection of the State Road and Route 11 in Ashland. Agents detained the vehicle and within minutes Sheriff’s Deputies and Ashland Police were on the scene. The woman, who will not be identified, was not seriously injured, Crandall said. James Campbell of Easton was arrested and charged with kidnapping and domestic assault. Campbell has a prior domestic assault conviction in 2004.

Campbell was taken to the Aroostook County Jail and made an initial court appearance on Wednesday. The District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal restraint charge instead of the kidnapping that was initially charged. Campbell remains at the jail and his bail is set at $3,000 cash or $50,000 surety.

Sheriff Crandall said in a press release Wednesday that, "While I do not generally encourage people to recklessly interject themselves into crimes of violence, I commend the efforts of the caller to try to rescue the woman from the vehicle."

Anyone who may have witnessed this crime or has additional information is encouraged to call the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office at 1-800-432-7842.

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