Police have charged a Waterville man they say was naked when he broke into a Farmingdale home and punched the man who lives there.
Jonathan L. Choate, 43, is charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief and assault.
Choate, who was held over the weekend at the Kennebec County jail in Augusta in lieu of $2,500 cash bail, made his initial court appearance Monday. Choate pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Justice Donald Marden set bail at $1,000.
Richard Seavey, 65, called police a few minutes before 4 a.m. Sunday after a naked man broke into his home at 37 Bowman St. in Farmingdale, said Chief Deputy Ryan Reardon of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Toby Pond arrived to find Seavey and the still-naked Choate sitting on the home’s front porch, Reardon said. Pond gave Choate a blanket and took him into custody.
Seavey told Pond he was watching television when he heard two loud bangs outside his house. Seavey went to the dining room and found a naked man hollering the name Jeff, Reardon said. Seavey did not recognize the man, whom police later identified as Choate.
Seavey told Choate to leave, at which point Choate became aggressive, Reardon said.
“He said he was going to clean him out,” Reardon said.
Choate followed Seavey to a bedroom and punched him three times in the face, Reardon said.
Seavey’s father, Donald Seavey, 96, who also lives in the home, joined his son in confronting Choate and demanding that he leave, Reardon said.
Seavey was not injured in the attack, Reardon said.
Choate later told Pond that he thought he was on Brunswick Avenue in Gardiner, Reardon said. Choate said he had no memory of how he arrived in Farmingdale. Choate said he thought he was at the home of a woman he knew.
A report detailing the incident did not indicate why he was naked or explain his behavior, but, Reardon noted, his conditions of release prohibit him from consuming illegal drugs or alcohol. Marden kept the prohibition in place when he set Choate’s bail on Monday.
“Do you have an alcohol issue?” Marden asked Choate.
“Yes, but I can do the conditions, no problem,” responded Choate, dressed in a green jail uniform.
Choate, who said he is an unemployed auto mechanic, has applied for a court-appointed attorney. Brendan O’Keefe, the lawyer who represented Choate during Monday’s appearance, said Choate has no criminal record. O’Keefe said Choate lives in Gardiner, though Reardon said his official residence is listed as Waterville.
“He has a place to live,” O’Keefe said. “There’s no reason he can’t be expected to turn up with a personal recognizance bail.”
Staff writer Betty Adams contributed to this report.
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