Orrington man accused of assaulting woman while collecting urine sample in Ellsworth
Orrington Man Charged with Kidnapping and Sexual Assault After Alleged Urine‑Sample Incident in Ellsworth
Orrington, Maine – Police and prosecutors are pursuing a series of criminal charges against 27‑year‑old Robert Perales of Orrington following an alleged assault that occurred while a woman was providing a urine sample at a medical facility in Ellsworth on March 12.
Perales, who works for Dominion Diagnostics – the laboratory contracted to conduct urine tests for Peak Outcome Partners – was arrested last week and appeared before a judge Friday. Court documents list one count of Class A kidnapping, one count of Class D assault, one count of Class D criminal restraint and three counts of unlawful sexual touching (one Class C and two Class D). He also faces charges for the alleged sexual conduct that the victim described in the affidavit.
According to a written statement from Ellsworth Police Detective Stephen McFarland, the woman had been required to submit urine samples under the direction of a caseworker from the Maine Department of Health & Human Services. She had done so on several occasions earlier that week, and the March 12 appointment was tied to a child‑custody dispute.
When the woman called the office to ask whether Peak Outcome Partners could remain open because she was running late, Perales answered and told her the facility could accommodate her. The female employee normally present to supervise the collection was absent. As a result, Perales reportedly supervised the sample.
McFarland’s affidavit details the routine for such “supervised unobserved” samples: the woman is to empty pockets, remove loose clothing, leave bags in a designated area, and be escorted to a restroom where the sample is collected out of view. The employee is to instruct the woman not to run water until the sample is handed over and to confirm the sample is fresh by temperature.
In the incident, the woman was forced to lower her pants and underwear, turn around, and produce the urine while Perales stood in the doorway. Afterward, he allegedly asked her for a “quicky” in exchange for a “solid.” She refused, and Perales is said to have grabbed her waist, pulled her body toward him, and groped her. The woman managed to grab the button on her coat, which struck Perales’ hand, allowing her to break free and leave with a friend who was waiting outside. She estimates she was held for about five minutes.
When Detective McFarland later interviewed the woman, she showed him a shoulder that was described as “red colored and appeared swollen,” and she said it was sore to the touch. Perales, when questioned by investigators, denied any wrongdoing and claimed he had followed proper protocols, although the testing order had been labeled “observed.”
Perales was released on a $2,000 bond with a condition that he have no contact with the woman. His next court appearance is set for November.
Hancock County District Attorney Robert Granger said in a statement that the allegations “raise concerns over a potential imbalance of power” because the victim was reporting to the defendant for the test. He added, “It took courage for the victim here to come forward and tell her story.” An attorney for Perales did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives from Dominion Diagnostics and Peak Outcome Partners also could not be reached for comment. A Maine DHHS spokesperson noted that the department does not oversee the employment practices of subcontractors.
