A Kennebec County grand jury, following months of inactivity due to the coronavirus pandemic, indicted numerous suspects, including two men accused in a drive-by shooting of a 7-year-old girl in Waterville, and a Caribou man who allegedly hit and injured a state trooper with his car in China during a high-speed chase.
Jeremiah D. Gamblin, 21 , of China and Gavin T. Loabe, 19, of Mercer were indicted on charges related to the Feb. 28 drive-by shooting in which then-7-year-old Emahleeah Frost was shot in the back while at her family’s Waterville apartment.
The indictment indicates Gamblin aided Loabe in the planning or commission of the crime of elevated aggravated assault, and that the crime caused serious bodily injury with the use of a dangerous weapon, a gun.
Waterville police have previously declined to say who of the two suspects was the alleged shooter.
Both were indicted on one count each of elevated aggravated assault, a class A crime. The charge alleges the suspects “did intentionally, knowingly or recklessly cause bodily injury or offensive physical contact to Emahleeah Frost with the use of a dangerous weapon, a firearm.”
Gamblin was also indicted Feb. 28 on a charge of assault.
Loabe was arraigned March 9. Information discussed in court that day suggested another man had previously lived in the Summer Street apartment where Emahleeah was shot, and that he was the alleged target of the shooting because he had propositioned Loabe’s girlfriend for sex.
Emahleeah was at Maine Medical Center in Portland for nearly a week before she was released March 5.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt, but an indication that there is enough evidence in a case to proceed with a trial.
Also indicted was Robert D. Belmain, 53, of Caribou, on charges of elevated aggravated assault, eluding an officer, aggravated forgery, operating after revocation, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, refusing to submit to arrest, falsifying physical evidence, criminal operating under the influence, two counts of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, criminal speed, driving to endanger, violation of condition of release and aggravated assault.
Belmain was allegedly behind the wheel of a car June 14 that, during a high-speed chase that started in Waterville, struck Maine State Police Trooper Mickael Nunez, causing a severe leg injury.
Nunez was hurt at the conclusion of a high-speed chase that began on Interstate 95 in Waterville. Another state trooper had stopped a car driven by Belmain, after receiving reports a green sports car with no license plates was being operated erratically on I-95, just south of Clinton, according to police.
Shortly after the sports car was pulled over, Belmain sped off, driving on I-95 and then Route 3 in Augusta, headed toward China, according to police. The chase through Waterville and China lasted about 30 minutes, with speeds reaching 100 mph.
State Police officials said Nunez was outside his cruiser and setting up spike strips to deflate the tires on the speeding car. He was trying to get to a safe location when he hit by the fleeing car.
Belmain crashed his car after Nunez was hit, police said.
Several central Maine residents, in unrelated cases, were indicted on various levels of assault charges for alleged crimes involving knives or other sharp objects:
Joseph R. Arbour, 34, of Augusta, was indicted on charges of robbery, aggravated assault and two counts of theft. He allegedly, on May 2 in Augusta, robbed a woman of more than $1,000 in cash and also injured the woman, with a knife. He was also indicted, for a June 20 incident in Augusta, on charges of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, violation of condition of release and false public report.
Jeremy R. LeClair, 19, of Augusta, who was indicted on aggravated assault and elevated aggravated assault charges, is alleged to have, on May 17 in Augusta, injured a man with a knife.
Joshua G. Devito, 26, of Augusta, was indicated on an aggravated assault charge for allegedly, May 2 in Augusta, injuring a man with a broken bottle. He was also indicted on charges of criminal threatening and violation of condition of release for a May 24 incident in Augusta. And for unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, allegedly, March 11 in Augusta.
Several others were indicted on assault charges, not involving weapons:
John Joseph Fournier Jr., 56, of Fairfield, was indicated on charges of aggravated assault, criminal operating under the influence, aggravated operating after habitual offender revocation and leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury or death, all related to a June 8 incident. He allegedly caused bodily injury to a man that caused permanent disfigurement or loss or substantial impairment of bodily function in a car accident in which he was allegedly drunk, and while his license had been revoked, and left the scene of the accident.
Cameron Louis Morrison, 21, of Winslow, was indicated on charges of aggravated assault, criminal mischief, domestic violence criminal threatening, domestic violence terrorizing and two counts of domestic violence assault.
He on Dec. 15, 2019 in Waterville allegedly assaulted a woman and damaged her cellphone and/or her keys, on Feb. 11, also in Waterville, assaulted and threatened the same woman and, Feb. 13, also in Waterville, assaulted and terrorized the woman again.
James Ardine Williams, 39, of Oakland, was indicted on charges that on March 7 in Waterville he committed burglary, domestic violence assault, violation of a protective order and criminal mischief.
Jonathan D. Afanador, 25, of Long Island, New York, was indicted on two counts of assault on an officer, Jan. 26 and March 3, in Augusta, for allegedly assaulting corrections officers.
Tiffany Marie Merrill, 34, of Augusta, was indicted on an assault charge, Nov. 29, 2019, in Augusta.
Mark P. Marlett, 34, of Augusta, was indicted on assault, disorderly conduct and violation of condition of release charges dating to a June 22 incident in Augusta in which he allegedly assaulted an emergency medical care provider.
Frank L. Tripp, 51, of Augusta, was indicted on an assault charge for a June 11 incident and on a theft charge for an April 27 incident, both in Augusta.
Jeffrey Gamache, 36, of Sabattus, was indicted for an alleged domestic violence assault on May 3 in Litchfield.
Patrick L. Conklin, 45, of Augusta, was indicted on a criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon charge, for allegedly threatening a man with a knife.
Stephen L. Nason, 35, of Bangor, was indicted on aggravated criminal trespass, assault, refusing to submit to arrest or detention and criminal mischief, alleged to have taken place April 22 in Augusta.
Thomas L. Mansir, 44, of Augusta, was indicted on charges of domestic violence assault and domestic violence terrorizing, both allegedly on April 16 in Augusta.
Jeffrey R. George, 38, of South China, was indicted on charges of gross sexual assault, two counts of possession of sexually explicit materials, and prohibited contact with a minor, for incidents alleged to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2019, and March 10, 2020, in China, each involving alleged victims younger than 14 years-old
Jesse W. Morang, 38, of Chelsea, was indicted on two counts of gross sexual assault, on or about Dec. 1, 2019, in Pittston, involving a victim under the age of 18.
Jason A. Mackenzie, 42, of Warren, was indicted on a charge of unlawful sexual touching, Sept. 9, 2019, in Litchfield.
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