Crime
18-Year-Old Pather Joyce Arrested for False Active Shooter Report at Standish Hannaford
Standish, Maine — An 18-year-old man has been taken into custody after authorities say he made a false 911 report claiming there was an active shooter inside the Hannaford supermarket in Standish on Friday morning.
According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, identified as Pather Joyce of South Portland and formerly of Windham, allegedly used a deactivated cellphone to place the emergency call.
The call was received by the Cumberland County Communications Center shortly before 11:20 a.m., stating that an armed suspect was actively shooting inside the grocery store located at 71 Colonial Drive.
In response, deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Gorham Police Department were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, law enforcement conducted an assessment of the location and quickly determined that there was no threat and that the report was a hoax.
Investigators at the scene were able to identify Joyce as the individual responsible for the false report.
He was taken into custody without incident inside the store and transported to the Cumberland County Jail.
Joyce has been charged with false public alarm or report, a criminal offense under Maine law.
In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office emphasized the seriousness of such incidents, noting the significant and immediate deployment of emergency personnel generated by false reports.
“The Sheriff’s Office takes these swatting calls very seriously as they tend to draw a large law enforcement response, as well as other resources until it can be determined that there is not a threat,” officials said.
No injuries were reported, and no additional details have been released at this time.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.