Port City man remains jailed in prowling incident after refusing bail, arraignment

ROCHESTER - A Portsmouth man remains behind bars today after his arrest on prowling, criminal threatening, criminal trespassing and false report to law enforcement charges following a bizarre incident behind the Lilac Mall on Monday.
The arrest unfolded around 9:10 p.m. when a Police Officer was conducting a check around the Lilac Mall and observed an individual who appeared to be peering into a glass door at the rear of the Mall, Rochester Police Capt. Todd Pinkham said today.
"As the officer approached the person, they tried to hide under a blanket," Pinkham noted.
The officer then approached the male and asked what he was doing at the location.
When the man became uncooperative and declined to give a valid reason for peering into the mall door, he was told he was on private property and he needed to leave but refused.
When asked for identification he refused but then began offering various names that all came back invalid, Pinkham said.
The male was then advised he was going to be placed under arrest and responded by threatening to kill the officer, making a threatening gesture, however no physical confrontation or resisting occurred, according to Pinkham. The man, later identified as Joshua Caleb Tafoya, 36, of Chase Drive, was then taken to Strafford County Jail where he refused bail and remains today.
Tafoya was charged with three counts of false report to law enforcement, two counts of criminal threatening, criminal trespass and loitering and prowling.
Tafoya also refused to allow jail personnel to take his picture.