SUMNER – Two Lewiston men were arrested Saturday night on charges related to two stolen and wrecked vehicles.
Edward Ellery Barbioni Jr., 26, of Holland Avenue, and Stephen Craig Gurney, 23, of River Street, were each charged with robbery, aggravated criminal mischief and assault. Gurney was also charged with failure to provide a correct name and address.
Both were being held without bail at the Oxford County Jail pending a court review. Barbioni was charged with violating bail conditions in the incident, while Gurney was charged with violating probation.
According to Deputy William Nelson of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Barbioni and Gurney were attending a party on Spring Road around 11:30 p.m. Saturday and stole a late-1990s Ford Contour owned by 22-year-old Dustin Bragdon of Leeds.
Nelson said it appeared that the car spun out on the muddy road and crashed into the woods. He said Barbioni and Gurney returned to the party and persuaded Cory Colby, 29, of Waterford and Michael Bouchard, 30, of Norway to try to tow the car back onto the road.
After a 2008 Ford F-250 owned by Bouchard was unable to retrieve the Contour, Colby and Bouchard started to return to the party. Nelson said Barbioni and Gurney then attempted to steal the truck. Colby was knocked unconscious and suffered a fractured elbow while trying to remove the men from the vehicle.
Nelson said Barbioni and Gurney left the area on foot after running the truck into the Contour.
After being dispatched to a report of an assault at the party, Nelson came across the two men walking on Route 140 within a mile of the call. He said he briefly spoke to them, and Gurney identified himself as Jason Bennett.
After speaking with people at the party, Nelson returned to Route 140 and arrested Barbioni and Gurney, who had continued walking down the road.
“I think they didn’t know where they were, and that’s why they didn’t run,” he said.
Maine State Police assisted at the scene. Nelson said the two men had been drinking at the party prior to the incident.
Nelson said the Contour was totaled and the F-250 had between $8,000 and $10,000 in damage.
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