PORTLAND

Man stabbed in the back by acquaintance, police say

Portland police continue to investigate a stabbing that took place Wednesday night inside an apartment at Bayside Village Apartments at 132 Marginal Way.

Sgt. Jeff Viola said that two men, who know each other, argued at around 6:30 p.m. One of the men stabbed the other in the back with a knife, he said.

The victim was transported by ambulance to Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, Viola said. The other man was questioned by police but has not been charged.

Viola said police would not release names because no one has been charged. Viola said he did not know what provoked the violence.

AUGUSTA

Police: Burglary suspects freed couple to smoke crack

Three men charged in connection with Tuesday’s reported burglary on Mount Vernon Avenue used duct tape to bind a local couple in their home, but then let them go free so they could all use drugs together, police said.

The men were passing time as they waited for the return of the drug dealer they hoped to rob, according to an affidavit filed in Kennebec County Superior Court by Augusta police Detective Christopher Blodgett. Julie and Gerald Marin said three men broke into their home Sunday night with the idea of robbing a local drug dealer named Sauce. The men threatened the couple with handguns, which turned out to be BB guns.

“Eventually, the males realized Sauce was not there and they began to smoke crack cocaine,” Blodgett wrote. “The males then asked Julie and Gerald if they wanted to smoke with them, which they advised they did. The males untaped Julie and Gerald and they all smoked crack cocaine together.”

The three men, Joshua Krajewski, 24, of Augusta; Zachary Monahan, 25, of Thompson, Conn.; and Robert DeJesus, 29, of Southbridge, Mass, all made their first court appearance Wednesday. All are charged with burglary, assault and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. DeJesus also was issued a warrant charging failure to pay fines.

All three were being held Wednesday at the Kennebec County jail.

LePage blasts Democrats for killing child-labor bill

Gov. Paul LePage says Democrats have put politics before the best interest of Mainers in their rejection of a bill that would have allowed children younger than 16 years old to work in bowling alleys and movie theaters.

The Republican governor blasted the Legislature for killing the bill on Wednesday. It also would have allowed children younger than 16 to get work permits directly through the Department of Labor when school isn’t in session, instead of making them go through their school superintendent first.

LePage said lawmakers “would rather punish 14-and-15-year-olds” than approve one of his administration’s bills.

Democrats raised concerns about potentially weakening child-labor laws and said that cutting superintendents out of the work permit process is a bad idea.

ROBBINSTON

Siblings’ vehicles crash into each other on icy road

A brother and sister from eastern Maine say they feel closer than ever after surviving a traffic wreck while driving separate vehicles.

Eighteen-year-old Kylee Caruso of Robbinston was headed to work just after 6 a.m. Sunday along icy Route 1 in Calais when she lost control of her car and crossed into the path of a pickup truck driving in the opposite direction.

She told WLBZ-TV she knew as soon as she saw the other vehicle that it was her 20-year-old brother, Logan, returning from an overnight shift at work.

He tried to avoid the collision, but their vehicles clipped.

Logan didn’t realize the other driver was his sister until he ran over and opened the car’s door.

Both were treated at a hospital and released.

BATH

Three teenagers arrested in spree of vandalism, theft

Bath police Wednesday announced the arrests of three teenagers in connection with a destructive three-week crime spree.

Lt. Robert Savary said the crimes, which included vandalism, graffiti and theft, occurred March 2-24. Police estimate the trio caused more than $2,000 worth of property damage.

Savary said the suspects smashed windows of parked cars, spray-painted graffiti on city-owned buildings and properties, stole personal property from vehicles and burglarized a vacant house.

Arrested on Tuesday were 18-year-old Robert Bruce of New Meadows Road in West Bath and 19-year-old Zachary Carey and 18-year-old Amelia Trafton, both of Middle Street in Bath.

Bruce was charged with burglary and aggravated criminal mischief and released on $5,000 bail.

Carey and Trafton were each charged with aggravated criminal mischief. Carey had not yet posted $5,000 bail Wednesday afternoon, and Trafton was released on $2,500 bail. Bruce and Trafton are scheduled to appear in West Bath District Court on June 10. Carey’s court date isn’t yet known.

“Crime sprees like this are not easy to solve. All the officers and detectives involved did a great job. They put a lot of time and energy into this case which I’m sure prevented further damaged property in our community,” Savary said in a statement.

ROCKLAND

Killer pleads no contest in fatal beating of inmate

A Maine State Prison inmate already serving a 40-year sentence for killing an ex-girlfriend has pleaded no contest to using an electric guitar to beat another prisoner to death last year.

Guy Hunnewell had previously pleaded insanity in connection with the June death of 57-year-old Alan Powell, but changed his plea to no contest Tuesday in Knox County Superior Court.

The 43-year-old Hunnewell was sentenced to life behind bars in Powell’s killing, a sentence that won’t start until he has completed his 40-year sentence for the 1997 slaying of the woman.

Authorities say the men were in the exercise area of the prison in Warren when Hunnewell beat Powell with the guitar. It’s not clear what prompted the assault.

BANGOR

Local man gets 18 months for stealing utility’s copper

A Bangor man who stole more than $43,000 worth of copper from substations belonging to electric utility Emera Maine has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Michael Weston also got three years of probation and was ordered to pay full restitution at his sentencing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

WABI-TV reported that the 37-year-old Weston pleaded guilty last fall to 19 break-ins between November of 2010 and July of 2011 while the company was still called Bangor Hydro Electric.

Authorities say he took more than 1,600 pounds of copper from substations in Milo, Orrington, Brooksville, Derby and Enfield. Prosecutors say one theft caused a power outage.

BROOKSMan accused of abusing son with animal shock collar

The Waldo County Sheriff’s Department says a Maine man used a shock collar intended for animals on his son.

Officials charged 28-year-old James Kuhn of Brooks with two counts of domestic assault. Investigators say the 7-year-old boy told school officials about the abuse, reporting that in addition to the shock collar his father “tried to break his back” by kicking him.

A jail official says Kuhn was arrested Friday and was released Monday on $2,500 bail.

Bail conditions bar him from having contact with the boy and his sister, who are now in the care of their mother. Jail records did not indicate whether Kuhn had a lawyer.

SANFORD

Police charge local man with gross sexual assault

Sanford police arrested a local man Wednesday and charged him with gross sexual assault, a Class A felony.

Detective Cpl. Sarah Roberts said 32-year-old Zachary Garrison was arrested at his apartment at 2 Manor Circle. Garrison was being held at York County Jail in Alfred in lieu of $15,000 cash bail.

A news release issued by the police department did not specify who was allegedly victimized by Garrison or when the assault took place, but police said they are interested in hearing from any other possible victims.

Roberts could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Anyone with information about the case should contact the department’s Criminal Investigation Division at 324-9170.