Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Police arrest man with hidden knives

By Scott Monroe smonroe@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE -- It was shortly after 1 a.m. Friday when the man rapped on the door to an apartment building, masking a 6-inch knife in his shirt sleeve.

A resident looked out to see who was banging on the door in the middle of the night and didn't recognize him.

Waterville police were called and three officers arrived at the Western Avenue building, where they would arrest 20-year-old Ricky Munster on charges of concealing a dangerous weapon and violating conditions of release.

Waterville police aren't sure why Munster was at the Western Avenue building early Friday morning, according to Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey. Munster claimed he was there to visit a friend, but no one who lived there knew him, Rumsey said.

"We're comfortable that he wasn't honest about the reason he was there, that he didn't belong there," Rumsey said.

Police were familiar with Munster. Tuesday night, shortly after 10 p.m., he was reported to be walking in the middle of the road, on Temple Street. Munster was warned by police not to do that, Rumsey said.

A half-hour later, Munster was walking down the middle of the one-way Front Street and vehicles had to swerve around him, Rumsey said.

Munster, who police said was intoxicated at the time, refused to stop walking in the middle of the road when confronted by officer Brian Gardiner, according to Rumsey. Gardiner pepper-sprayed and tackled Munster to the ground in order to arrest him.

"He told us he wanted to prove how tough he was," Rumsey explained.

Gardiner also found Munster carrying a glass pipe with marijuana residue, plus a folding knife with its blade open, in his coat pocket.

Munster, who said his address is 1206 Cross Hill Road, Vassalboro, was arrested on charges of obstructing a public way and refusing to submit to arrest, and he was summonsed on a charge of sale and use of drug paraphernalia.

He was taken to the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta and later posted $50 bail and was released on several conditions, including not getting involved in criminal activity.

At 1:12 a.m. Friday, a caller reported a man who was "unknown to the residents" trying to enter an apartment building on Western Avenue, Rumsey said. Officer Andrew McMullen and two other officers arrived and found Munster acting suspiciously, he said.

"He had his hands in his pockets and one of the officers noticed an empty knife sheath on his belt, and then an officer saw a flash of a metallic object," Rumsey said.

The officers searched him and found a knife with a 6-inch blade that had been slid up his shirt sleeve and was pointing downward, Rumsey said. They also found him carrying an additional five folding knives in his pockets. Munster, who this time provided an address of 28 Oak St., Waterville, submitted to arrest this time without resisting.

Munster was again taken to the county jail, where he remained Friday afternoon.

A jail official said Munster had already been sentenced in connection with the charges to serve 24 hours and pay a $610 fine.

Scott Monroe -- 861-9239

smonroe@centralmaine.com