A Portland man accused of robbing a Westbrook convenience store and stealing two cars now faces an escape charge after authorities say he bolted from a Cumberland County courtroom.
CBS affiliate WGME reports that Michael J. Gray, 30, was being arraigned at the Cumberland County Superior Court when Gray, who was in ankle restraints, bolted from the courtroom, down the hall and exited the courthouse onto Newbury Street.
Two judicial marshals immediately apprehended him, WGME reports.
Gray now faces an escape charge in addition to charges of theft by unauthorized taking and operating after suspension, according to WGME.
[Portland man accused of stealing 2 cars, robbing convenience store]
Gray was initially charged after police say he entered Duck Pond Variety on Bridgton Road in Westbrook before 7 p.m. Monday and demanded money from a clerk.
No weapon was displayed, and Gray fled with an undisclosed amount of money, according to the Westbrook Police Department.
When police arrived at the store, officers found a stolen vehicle abandoned a short distance away. Westbrook police said it had been stolen from a business parking lot on Riverside Street in Portland minutes before the robbery.
Another vehicle was stolen from the driveway of a nearby residence on Bridgton Road, Westbrook police said. That vehicle was later recovered by the Windham Police Department after a disturbance on Haven Road.
Westbrook police arrested Gray after they connected him to both the car thefts and the robbery.