4 youths attacked at Bangor pool hall > Job Corps student charged, jailed while others sought in assault

Four men were beaten and one was robbed during a Saturday night brawl at Miami North, a video game room and pool hall on Broadway in Bangor.

Witnesses said that shortly after 10 p.m. eight to 10 men, thought to be students at the Penobscot Job Corps, charged into the hall and yelled, “This is a raid.”

The men, some of whom may have been wearing masks, allegedly began to attack four teens who were playing pool. Police said the attack appeared to be random and the victims said they were not familiar with their attackers.

The victims were all 16 years old from Hermon, Garland and Bangor. Two were treated for concussions at St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor. Injuries included a broken nose, a large gash above one of the teen’s left eye and cuts and bruises. All four were treated and later released.

The victims were punched in the face. When one tried to flee, he was kicked several times in the side and back, according to the police report. Police reported the teen had sneaker prints from his neck to his lower back. The attackers also took an undisclosed amount of cash from the teen’s pocket.

One of the teens was holding a pool stick when he was attacked, and one of the men grabbed the stick and allegedly broke it over the teen’s head.

The attackers fled when police and a Job Corps security van appeared at the club. Police were able to catch Hilario Andrade, 18, whose address was not listed and was described only as a Job Corps student.

Andrade appeared in 3rd District Court in Bangor on Monday and was charged with Class A robbery. He was being held in jail in lieu of $10,000 single-surety bail or $1,000 cash.

Bangor Police Lt. Donald Winslow said the department was working with Job Corps administration on trying to identify the alleged attackers and to decide on what action to take against them.

“We are still in the initial stages of the investigtion,” Winslow said.

Witnesses told police the attackers were all black, but neither police nor Penobscot County District Attorney Christopher Almy would comment on whether the attack was racially motivated.

“Right now it appears to just be a random attack,” Winslow said.

The owner of Miami North has had problems with Job Corps students in the past, and at one time banned the students from his establishment, police said.

Problems with past criminal activity by some students prompted the police department and Job Corps administration to establish a liaison officer to work solely at the Job Corps facility in an attempt to improve relations between students, police and local business people.

Winslow said that problems at the Job Corps facility had diminished since the liaison officer began his duties last spring.