BANGOR, Maine — City police have arrested a 34-year-old woman in connection with two stabbings at the Bangor Mall on Tuesday that sent two people to the hospital, Detective Sgt. David Bushey said Tuesday evening.

Elizabeth Ellis, whom police describe as a transient, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, Class B felonies that carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.





Ellis is being held at Penobscot County Jail on $50,000 cash bail. She is expected to make an initial court appearance Wednesday at the Penobscot Judicial Center, a jail official said.

Bushey said the incidents at J.C. Penney occurred about 20 minutes apart and that the suspect in both stabbings was described as a white female in her 20s wearing a blue shirt and gray skirt.

“The victims did not know the suspect. These appear to have been random acts,” Bushey said in a news release.

Representatives of J.C. Penney and the mall declined to comment on what took place, referring questions to Bangor police.

The first report came in at 11:38 a.m., Bushey said. Upon their arrival, police officers found a woman who had single stab wound to her right shoulder. Bushey said the victim, who is not being identified, was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center, where she was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, and released.

The second stabbing was reported at 11:58 a.m., Bushey said. That victim also suffered a stab wound to her shoulder that was not considered life-threatening. She also was taken to EMMC, where she was treated and released, the detective said.

Bangor police caught a break in the case shortly before 3 p.m., when Detective Marc Bowering of the Farmington Police Department called with information about a stabbing at Bangor Mall, Bushey said.

Bangor detectives went to Farmington to follow up on the information and brought Ellis to the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor.

Bangor police were assisted by a tracking dog team from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office and Veazie police.

Anyone who was in the Bangor Mall area between 11 a.m. and noon Tuesday and may have witnessed anything related to this case is asked to call the Bangor Police Department at 947-7384.

BDN writer Ryan McLaughlin contributed to this report.