ROCKLAND – A Rockland man, who was shot by a resident with a 7.63 mm revolver after allegedly entering a Park Street home just before midnight Aug. 31 has been arrested by Rockland Police.

Christopher Wildlhaber, 45, has been charged with class B felony burglary and is now in custody at the Knox County Jail until his court appearance, according to Sgt. Don Finnegan. 

Wildhaber was found hiding in the woods, approximately 120 yards from the residence, and was apprehended after a brief struggle by Rockland Police for allegedly breaking into a residence.  

Wildhaber sustained a non-life threatening injury to his shoulder area, according to an initial new release from Finnegan Tuesday morning.  

According to the police report filed by Detective Joel Neal, the homeowner called Knox County Regional Communications Center and reported that he had shot an intruder, who he said was there to rob his home. He told police that he was sleeping with this head faced to the door and saw a shadow, which he said was “too big to be his cat.”

The victim then retrieved his handgun from underneath his pillow and observed a male subject in his living room, according to the report. He told police that he asked Wildhaber what he was doing in his house and told him to sit on his coffee table. While the homeowner dialed 911, he said that Wildhaber bolted toward the kitchen and he shot him in the back, according to the police report.

The homeowner said that nothing appeared to be missing from this incident. He also told police he had been robbed several times before, according to the report.         

Wildhaber was transported to Penobscot Bay Medical Center, then to Maine Medical Center, for treatment of the gunshot wound. On his release from Maine Medical Center, Wildhaber was taken in to custody on a probation violation from a domestic violence assault conviction in 2014, and was initially held at the Cumberland County Jail.          

This case remains under investigation.    

Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com