North Berwick man leads police on 100 mph chase before K-9 capture

Kyle Berounsky (York County Sheriff's Office photo)

WATERBORO, Maine - A North Berwick man was arrested on burglary and eluding police charges after he led several lawmen on a 12-mile chase reaching speeds of 100 mph on Saturday night.

The incident unfolded around 9:15 p.m. as sheriff's deputies were summoned to a residence on Kennedy Drive in Waterboro for a possible burglary.

A woman who was watching the residence for her brother, who was on vacation, noticed that items in the house appeared "out of place." She also thought her brother's vehicle had been moved.

Deputies began an investigation and soon determined the residence had been burglarized because a rear door had been forced open with what appeared to be a pry bar.

Further investigation led to the discovery that the homeowner suspected a former roommate, Kyle Berounsky, may have been squatting in the house, knowing the house was going to be vacant. Berounsky was not authorized to be in the residence.

Waterboro Contract Deputy Kevin Collins issued an "attempt to locate" on Berounsky and a Wells Police Department officer reported he had stopped the suspect earlier in the day. The Wells officer was able to provide a description of the vehicle Berounsky was driving.

Not knowing the whereabouts of Berounsky and the possibility he could still be in the area hiding, deputies summoned the assistance of a K-9 unit from Wells Police to assist in a search of the area.

While this investigation was unfolding, another deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle on Main Street in Waterboro for having a plate light out and following too close to another vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, later determined to be Berounsky, provided a false name.

When the deputy began to question Berounsky more closely, he fled the traffic stop with the deputy in pursuit.

Berounsky took off at a high rate of speed onto Old Alfred Road, then left again on Route 5. Other deputies set up a spike strip near Merrill's Country Store in an attempt to disable the suspect's vehicle, but even with a flat tire, Berounsky continued to flee.

Soon another deputy and the K-9 unit from Wells joined in the chase.

Berounsky soon turned only Enterprise Drive and then proceeded to Leisure Lane where he bailed out of his vehicle and ran into a home, however, the Wells police dog was in pursuit and found the suspect on the second floor where deputies took Berounsky into custody without incident.

The chase led deputies and the Wells K-9 unit on a pursuit of more than 12 miles reaching speeds of 100 mph.

A pry bar was found in Berounsky's vehicle, appearing to be the instrument used to force open the door of the burglarized house in Waterboro.

Berounsky, 29, was charged with eluding a police officer and burglary, both Class C felonies.

Bail was set at $5,000 cash with a video arraignment in Springvale District Court set for Monday.