WATERBORO, Maine — Two Massachusetts men and a Georgia man were arrested Thursday afternoon in a suspected robbery and kidnapping in York County, according to Sheriff William King.
The series of events leading to the arrests of Angel Alicea, 25, of Georgia and Samuel Hilton, 23, and Anyheuris Mota-Speing, 23, both of Massachusetts, started around 2 p.m., when deputies responded to a disturbance in nearby Newfield, King said.
The men apparently were looking for marijuana, the sheriff said.
“The caller reported that he observed a man with his head bound in duct tape with another man pointing a gun in his hand yelling at him,” King said.
The caller also notified police that the victim and suspects were in a vehicle traveling toward Waterboro. After deputies alerted neighboring departments to keep an eye for it, the car was stopped by Sanford police on Route 202.
An investigation revealed the suspects drove to a Waterboro home in search of marijuana, which was not inside the residence, King said. Two of the men went inside while one waited inside the vehicle.
King said the victims told the suspects they did not have any pot, angering the suspects and leading them to allegedly force the victims to lie on the floor. The suspects allegedly bound the victims’ hands with duct tape while the house was searched.
The sheriff added one victim who resisted was struck on the head with a gun, and another was dragged down a flight of stairs.
“The men prodded the victims and produced a blowtorch, threatening to burn them if they did not give up their stash of marijuana,” King said.
One victim reportedly made up a story that an associate was in possession of the drugs and pointed to a random vehicle driving by the house, leading the suspects to rush to their vehicle with that victim in tow, King said.
The vehicle they were following drove into Newfield before the suspects could catch up to it, and when the suspects’ car slowed down, the victim jumped out and began yelling for help, leading to a witness calling police. None of the victims needed medical attention.
Alicea, Hilton and Mota-Speing were charged with robbery and kidnapping, both Class A offenses, King said. Bail for the three was set at $100,000.
