Police arrest Kittery man in gang beating

KITTERY – Police have arrested a young Kittery man and three minors suspected of a Badgers Island beating and were investigating the possibility of related gang activity.

Ryan LeBlanc, 18, and three other students from the Traip Academy were arrested last week and charged with aggravated assault in the December beating of a 33-year-old man. “We are investigating the possibility of other assaults occurring around the same time frame and area that may involve some of these youths,” Detective Sgt. Ronald Avery said. “We’re concerned that the activity we’re seeing is ganglike,” he said.

Police said the victim was walking home from work about 11:30 p.m. Dec. 27 when he was attacked by six male teens who told him to stay off the island. After he was beaten to the ground, two of the teens ran away while the other four continued to kick him in the head and torso. The victim suffered broken bones in his face and now suffers numbness in his right arm, headaches and blurred vision.

LeBlanc was released last week on $2,500 unsecured bond. Because he turned 18 on Dec. 20, he could face a sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.

At their arraignment in York District Court last week, the juvenile suspects entered the courtroom handcuffed and wearing chains around their ankles. One was in tears. One boy was released to the custody of his parents. The other two were being held without bail and returned to the Maine Youth Center.”It’s very unusual that they are being detained,” Detective William Hackett said. “But this happened because of the serious nature of the charges, because it’s a gang environment, and also because threats were made to kill some of the witnesses.”

The three juveniles are scheduled to appear in York District Court on Feb. 20. If convicted, they could be held at the Maine Youth Center until they turn 21. LeBlanc and the juvenile who was released are forbidden to have contact with the victim and several minors named by police. They are also forbidden to go to Hunter Avenue and Badgers Island.

“A lot of these kids are OK by themselves, but put them together and you have a gang mentality,” Hackett said.