York County grand jury indicts Rochester man on three felonies

Michael Mendoza (Rochester Police photo)

ALFRED, Maine - A Rochester man who served time in county jail on a host of charges in a Leonard Street incident last year has been indicted by a York County grand jury on several felony charges relating to a July incident in York.

Michael Mendoza, 34, of 7 Woodlawn Road, Rochester, N.H., was formally charged with aggravated eluding (fleeing police), leaving the scene of a felony, and driving to endanger/serious injury in connection with a July 24 incident in York.

The most serious charge, aggravated eluding, is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in a Maine state prison.

In July 2017 Mendoza pleaded guilty in Strafford County Superior Court and was sentenced to six months in Strafford County Jail in connection with his arrest in May during an incident on Leonard Street.

Mendoza, then of 31 Leonard St., was also ordered to serve at least a year of probation after his release from jail.

The May 2017 incident began with a 911 hangup, which drew Rochester Police to the scene where Mendoza had illegally entered a neighbor's house.

Arriving police suspected a domestic violence incident due to the nature of the call, so when they got no answer from where the call had originated, they entered the building. A woman inside was taken by police to be checked out at Frisbie Memorial Hospital.

Police found Mendoza in another part of the apartment building, where he was taken into custody without incident.

He was arrested for burglary, stalking and assault, but as part of a plea deal he was only found guilty of false report, for interfering with the initial 911 hangup; criminal trespass and a stalking charge from an unrelated incident.

Mendoza's release date from Strafford County Jail on those charges was not immediately available.

The York County grand jury indictments were handed down earlier this month and released last week.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, rather that enough evidence has been gathered to warrant a trial.