Waterboro man nabbed in bizarre cattle prod attack

Christopher Hall; right, cattle prod recovered by police. (YCSO photos)

ALFRED, Maine - The York County Sheriff's Department says a Waterboro man unhappy with a female mediator in a child custody case from several years ago attacked the woman with a cattle prod on Thursday in Arundel.

Christopher Hall, 48, was arrested on Friday evening and charged with felony assault and attempted kidnapping.

The bizarre incident began to unfold on Thursday night around 6:45 when deputies were summoned to a Lyman convenience store where the woman initially reported the assault.

The woman, an attorney who serves as a professional mediator and is often contracted by the Maine State Court System, had gone to a residence on Irving Road in Arundel for a scheduled meeting with a potential female client.

As the woman prepared to get out of her vehicle, police say Hall, wearing a wig as a disguise, assaulted her. The woman said she believed she was "shocked" by the man who placed a cattle prod between her legs, coming in contact with her upper, inner thighs. Police allege Hall then placed his hands over her mouth to stifle her screams, but the woman was able to knock off his wig and he fled in a waiting vehicle.

The victim was transported to the hospital where she was treated and released.

When YCSO deputies began an investigation they learned that the woman sometimes had clients who become adversarial when court decisions didn't go their way.

It was learned that Hall came before the courts several years ago in a child custody dispute and was not happy how the case went. At that time, Hall threatened several people involved with the case.

Further investigation allowed deputies to recover the cattle prod and wig.

Hall's bail was set at $15,000 pending a Tuesday arraignment.