SKOWHEGAN — Three women were arrested late Monday after they allegedly burst into an apartment and beat a woman with their fists and threatened her boyfriend with a baseball bat.

“It’s very unusual,” Deputy Police Chief Dan Summers said Tuesday. “Normally when we investigate home invasions, you’re looking at men being involved; but when you have a gang of three women involved by themselves, I’ve got to say this is the first one I’ve heard of since I’ve been here.”

Summers said the women, all Skowhegan residents, went to the door of the apartment at Sherwood Court on Mountain View Terrace just before midnight, apparently angered about the theft of a marine battery and a glass jar of loose change.

They banged on the door with a bat, then rushed in when the woman opened the door, he said.

They grabbed the woman by her throat and threw her against a wall, he said.

Stacey Lynn Robinson, 33, and Kristina M. Santamore, 28, then took turns “thumping on this girl, punching her in the head, punching her all over,” Summers said. The third woman, Brandy L. St. Pierre, 34, watched from the doorway, he said.

The victim’s boyfriend told police the baseball bat was waved in his face and he was told not to get involved.

The victim was taken to Redington-Fairview General Hospital with cuts and bruises. She was treated and released and was able to meet with detectives Tuesday morning.

Robinson was arrested and charged with burglary and aggravated assault, both class B felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison. She also was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief for allegedly damaging the apartment door with the baseball bat.

Santamore was arrested and charged with felony burglary and aggravated assault and with theft and obstructing the report of a crime. Santamore allegedly took a plastic change jar the victim had and grabbed her cellphone when she tried to call police, Summers said.

An unidentified neighbor called police.

St. Pierre was arrested and charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor assault.

Robinson and Santamore were released on $300 cash bail.

St. Pierre remained at Somerset County Jail late Tuesday, unable to make bail, according to a jail intake worker.

No information was available about when the women are scheduled to appear in court or whether they have lawyers.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367
dharlow@mainetoday.com