Man charged in Waterville murder held without bail, assigned lawyer

A police investigator walks under crime scene tape Dec. 28, 2023, near the entrance to Damon’s Beverage at 6 Jefferson St. in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

AUGUSTA — The Waterville man charged with murder in connection with the death of a co-worker at Damon’s Beverage in Waterville has been ordered held without bail.

Spridal Hubiak, 21, was arraigned Friday at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta. Hubiak has been charged with murder in the December 2023 death of Angela Bragg, 52, of Waterville. Contributed photo

Spridal Hubiak, 21, faces a felony-level charge of intentional or knowing murder for allegedly killing Angela Bragg, 52, of Waterville in December 2023. The pair were co-workers at the beverage store and redemption center at 6 Jefferson St.

Hubiak made his initial court appearance Feb. 9, after being extradited to Maine. After the killing, Hubiak allegedly fled to Arkansas, where he was shot by police following a chase.

Hubiak is being held at the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta, with no bail allowed, according to court documents. He is due for a bail hearing in March.

Lawyer Steve Smith of Augusta has been appointed to represent Hubiak, and Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy has been assigned to his case. Smith could not be reached Monday for comment.

Bragg was found dead by a co-worker at 4:34 a.m. on Dec. 28 at Damon’s Beverage. The cause of death was sharp force injury, and the manner of death was homicide, according the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta.

Hubiak was named a suspect in the case by police, who issued an arrest warrant, and he fled Maine.

Police in Flippin, Arkansas, located Spridal on Dec. 31, 2023, as he slept inside the car that police had reported he was driving in Maine, according to the Maine State Police.

Hubiak fled from police in Arkansas, but crashed at a gas station parking lot, according to officials, after police had used spike mats during the chase to stop his vehicle.

Hubiak reportedly exited the vehicle with an “AR-style” rifle in his hand, and a Boone County Sheriff’s deputy fired at him, hitting Hubiak multiple times, officials said.

Hubiak was taken to a medical facility in Springfield, Missouri, after the shooting. He was released several days later and taken to a jail in Missouri, where he was held on a murder charge, according to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. He was later brought to Maine to face prosecution.

Damon’s Beverage has said in a statement that Bragg was “a valued employee, friend and person.” An obituary shared by Plummer Funeral Home in Augusta described Bragg as a hard worker and “the glue that held her family together.”

“Angela’s life was undoubtedly taken from her much too soon,” Bragg’s obituary reads. “She had her sights on some big goals and was looking forward to accomplishing them. Above all, family was her world.”

Bragg is survived by two daughters, eight grandchildren and two siblings.