Auburn police arrested a 21-year-old alleged domestic abuser on Wednesday, reportedly responsible for two separate shooting incidents within the span of a week.
At about 8:43 p.m. on September 10, Auburn police received multiple reports of gunfire coming from the area of Willow and Hampshire Streets.
Police responded and interviewed witnesses, but at the time, they were unable to determine whether the sounds reported were actually gunshots or engine backfires.
Investigators returned to the site the following morning and, with help from community members, confirmed that the sounds were, in fact, gunshots.
The Auburn Police Department’s Proactive Community Enforcement (PACE) Unit conducted an investigation that involved the execution of search warrants and multiple interviews, ultimately leading to the identification of a suspect.
During the investigation, Auburn police came to believe that the same suspect was responsible for an unreported shooting incident in Norway less than a week before the Auburn incident. This discovery led the Norway Police Department to join the investigation.
One week after the Auburn shooting, police took Anthony Torres, 21, into custody. He was allegedly out on probation at the time after violating a protection order, and the Maine Department of Corrections’ Probation and Parole Division assisted with the arrest.
Torres was transported to the Androscoggin County Jail and charged with domestic violence reckless conduct with a firearm, reckless conduct with a firearm, and illegal possession of a firearm.
Additional charges are expected to follow based on the Norway incident.
Police did not provide any details on the shooting incidents themselves.
