WINSLOW — Be careful who you give a ride home.

That turned out to be the lesson for two men who stopped early Sunday morning to take home a man who had just run his car off Benton Avenue, onto a front yard.

When they took Justin Lee George, 22, back to his apartment, he brandished a knife and attempted to rob his rescuers, police said. After an argument, George gave up and went into his apartment.

Winslow police arrested George soon afterward.

“He definitely wasn’t the smartest robber in the world,” said Winslow police Lt. Michael Tuminaro. “He left his vehicle in someone’s yard, decided to rob them in their car, in his driveway, and then went into his own apartment. He made it pretty easy for us to solve.”

George, who police said was intoxicated, had driven his 1996 BMW off Benton Avenue, near the Kennebec River Development Park and the Winslow Police Department.

George was trying to get his car out when two men, both in their 20s and Winslow residents, drove by and offered him a ride home, Tuminaro said.

When they took him to his 28 Halifax St. apartment, George “pulled out a knife and demanded money,” Tuminaro said.

“They argued about it, had some words in the car,” Tuminaro said. No money was taken and no one was injured.

Winslow officer Benjamin Loubier responded, first to a call for the broken-down vehicle, and then to George’s apartment about 3:30 a.m. when the two men called police.

George was charged with robbery, operating under the influence, trafficking in dangerous knives and assault.

He was taken to the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta, where he remained Monday on $20,000 cash bail.

Scott Monroe — 861-9239

smonroe@centralmaine.com

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