PORTLAND — Two men face assault and other charges following their arrest Tuesday morning for allegedly launching an unusual series of unprovoked attacks on random victims, police said.

A third suspect remains at large.

The attacks, which occurred on Cumberland Avenue, Center Street and Free Street, appear unrelated to two other unsolved attacks on Portland’s peninsula over the past 10 days.

Still, Portland police plan to step up enforcement in light of the recent violent incidents.

“We’re going to have extra patrols out keeping an eye out to see if this is the beginning of a trend,” said Lt. Gary Rogers, head of detectives for Portland police.

Police continue to investigate an Oct. 17 assault in the Old Port in which a 23-year-old Portland man was punched and knocked to the ground by one of several people, injuring his head so that he needed surgery. He is now recovering from his injuries.

On Thursday, a 41-year-old man reported that he was driving a camper on Cumberland Avenue at 1:30 a.m. when someone hit his windshield with a brick.

When he got out to investigate, he was attacked by a group of men, one of whom hit him from behind, knocking him out.

They then stole his wallet, police said. He was taken to Maine Medical Center for treatment of cuts on his face and head, police said.

Police are still searching for suspects in both incidents.

In the most recent attacks, police early Tuesday arrested David Brochu, 22, of Windham on assault, robbery and terrorizing charges; and Christopher Conley, 22, of Portland on charges of assault, robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, a knife.

The attacks started at about 11:40 p.m. Monday when Ben Chipman, a political activist with the Green party and a candidate for the Legislature, was confronted by three men who were walking on Cumberland Avenue toward Franklin Arterial.

One of the men took a swing at him, which missed, and Chipman escaped by running through nearby parking lots and flagging down a passerby who gave him a ride, Chipman said in a statement.

At about midnight, at Spring and Center streets, men matching the same description accosted another man, tried to provoke a fight and then punched him in the head and neck as he fled, police said.

Minutes later, men matching the same description confronted another man and demanded his cell phone.

When he refused, they tried to take his backpack, but he was able to get away, police said.

Then, two of the men attacked a couple on Congress Street, punching the man in the face, police said.

Police were searching the area and were questioning Brochu and Conley at Congress and Brown streets when the victim with the backpack arrived and identified his attackers, police said.

The attacks did not seem to be motivated by money, Rogers said.

“It’s more like punks intimidating and assaulting people for no reason,” he said.

Conley is being held in Cumberland County Jail on $100,000 bail and Brochu on $25,000 pending an initial court appearance.

 

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: dhench@pressherald.com

 

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