A Cumberland County grand jury has indicted three men on charges of attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault and robbery stemming from a shooting and stabbing over a small drug transaction in South Portland in March.

Police arrested Zachary Swain, 19, of Cape Elizabeth, Noah Sibole-Little, 19, of Portland and Essa Sayed, 18, of Portland after the altercation March 11 at the city’s recreation complex off Highland Avenue.

Police said at the time that Sayed and Swain shot and stabbed two people during what police called a drug deal involving “a relatively small quantity of marijuana.”

Sibole-Little was charged later with attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault, aggravated assault and robbery. Police say he was with the other two when the attack occurred and had posted on an online classified service that he was looking to buy a handgun in the days before the shooting.

According to an affidavit prepared by Detective Jake Hall, Ian Soule, 19, of South Portland and Colin Harle, 18, of South Portland drove to the hospital late that night. Soule had been shot in the chest, though the bullet lost so much velocity going through the windshield of Harle’s yellow Mustang that it did not penetrate his skin.

Harle was stabbed in the back, and suffered a cut artery and punctured liver.

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Police learned the two had gone to the Wainwright Recreational Sports Complex to sell marijuana to a man they knew only as “Yung Savage,” later identified as Swain. Harle and Swain had met through a telephone app called “Meet Me,” police said.

When Harle went to speak with Swain, the two got in a fight.

Soule climbed into the driver’s seat to try to get away, and that’s when he was shot in the chest, police said. Harle jumped into the car, blood spurting from his back, and the two drove off. They believed Swain was the one who shot the gun and stabbed Harle.

Police used cellphone records and received anonymous tips that helped them identify the suspects. Police were told that Swain planned to rob the men of marijuana, and that the other two were accomplices.

The grand jury handed up the indictments Friday.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @Mainehenchman


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