Local News

Suspect in Acadia hit-and-run death of girlfriend arrested in Mexico

Raymond Lester, 35, of Portland, was arrested Monday in Cancun and returned to the United States.

Raymond Lester. Handout

A man accused of running over his girlfriend with a vehicle in Acadia National Park, killing her, was arrested this week in Mexico, officials said.

Raymond Lester, 35, of Portland, was arrested Monday in Cancun and returned to the United States, the U.S. Marshals Service said. He was being detained Wednesday in Chicago, and will likely be returned to Maine next week, a state police spokesperson said.

His girlfriend, Nicole Mokeme, died in the hit-and-run at the Schoodic Institute in Winter Harbor last month.

Nicole Mokeme. – Gregory Rec / The Portland Press Herald

The activist served as creative director of Rise and Shine Youth Retreat, which offers retreats and programs for Black children and adults. She also was one of the organizers of the Black Excellence Retreat 2022, which was in progress at the time of the hit-and-run.

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Once investigators learned Lester was in Cancun, Mexican police handled the arrest without incident.

Lester was being sought on a Maine warrant for murder and a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. It was not known if Lester had retained an attorney.

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