Maine Man Who Pushed Thru Barbed Wire to Escape Jail Gets 5 Years

A Lisbon, Maine man who had previously squeezed through barbed wire to escape jail is sentenced to five years in prison.

Why Was He Originally In Jail?

David Ricardo Mockler was originally jailed on May 15, 2022 for charges of aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs, unlawful possession of cocaine base, theft by unauthorized taking, criminal mischief, and violating conditions of his release. He was being held in the Androscoggin County Jail, when he decided it was time to leave.

Get our free mobile app

How Did He Escape From Prison ?

On the morning of May 24th, he climbed a fence in the recreation area, squeezed through two rows of skin-ripper barbed wire, and then jumped about 25 feet off a roof. Once he was back on the ground, Mockler found a car owned by Tina Chouinard of Greene parked in the side lot of the County Court building. The vehicle was unlocked and had the keys inside, so the inmate jumped behind the wheel and took off.

Where Was He Caught?

He, apparently, had some challenges with driving because he hit a vehicle on Minot Avenue in Auburn, which caused extensive damage to both vehicles. Mockler left the scene of the crash and continued on, refusing to stop for Mechanic Falls Police. A chase ensued, but at low speeds since the inmate's vehicle was heavily damaged from the crash. He turned into a private driveway in the 400 block of South Main Street in Mechanic Falls, where he again crashed. At this point, he was taken into custody.

Mockler was in court this week where, according to WGME-TV, he pleaded guilty to thirteen charges, six of which were felonies. He's been sentenced to serve 5 years of a 10 year sentence in prison for drug trafficking and prison escape.