CLINTON — A Clinton man faces domestic violence aggravated assault charges after allegedly shooting a 74-year-old woman in the neck Saturday, causing serious injuries, police said.

Andrew Fertig Kennebec County Correctional Facility photo

Andrew Fertig, 69, was arrested at about 6 p.m. Saturday at his home at 791 Hill Road, after the Waterville Regional Communications Center received a call that a woman had been shot at the house, Officer Mike Connors of the Clinton Police Department said.

Clinton police and Clinton Fire Rescue provided medical aid to the woman, Connors said Sunday in a statement.

“Due to the severity of her injuries, EMS personnel made the decision to activate LifeFlight of Maine,” Connors, the department’s public information officer, said. “The female was subsequently airlifted to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for further treatment. At this time, she is expected to survive the injuries.”

Police detained Fertig without incident, Connors said. Fertig was arrested and charged with domestic violence elevated aggravated assault, a Class A offense, according to Connors.

Fertig was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance because of his extremely high blood alcohol content, before he was driven to the Kennebec County Correctional facility in Augusta, Connors said.

Fertig is being held pending an initial court appearance.

“The investigation is ongoing and no further details are available at this time,” Connors said. “Due to being a domestic violence-related incident, the name of the female will not be released.”

The Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office and Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit assisted Clinton police at the scene, Connors said. Clinton police Sgt. Roger Smith was the investigating officer.

Fertig was arrested in August 2016 and charged with three felony-level offenses after his then-girlfriend told police he was stealing pills from her prescription. He was charged with stealing drugs, a class C offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Fertig’s girlfriend had lived with him since 2013 and had a prescription for oxycodone, but told her doctors that she struggled with the pill count, Clinton police Chief Rusty Bell said at the time.

The woman did not think people from the neighborhood would be stealing from her, Bell said, and Fertig eventually admitted to taking the pills.

Fertig was also arrested on charges of prior domestic violence terrorizing and prior domestic violence assault, which his girlfriend did not want to report officially when she talked to police in late July, Bell said. The alleged incidents would occur when Fertig had been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, according to Bell.

“He had threatened her that he would chop her up and throw her in the woods somewhere,” Bell said at the time. “She was really scared.”

Bell said Sunday he did not have access to information on whether Fertig had been convicted on the felony-level charges.

Bell also said he was not sure if the victim in 2016 is the same person who was shot Saturday.