Rhode Island Man Arrested After Lewiston Shooting
A man who recently relocated from Rhode Island is now facing charges in connection with a shooting and fleeing from police.
24-year-old Justin Botelho was in the process of moving to Maine from Rhode Island when he was arrested. The Sun Journal reports he told police that his mother and sister live in the state, he had recently earned his GED, and was looking for work. However, police say he was on probation for a 2012 robbery in Rhode Island and wasn't supposed to leave the state.
His arrest followed a call to 911 that there was a man at 11 Ash Street who had a gun and was firing at a pregnant girl. The caller described Bothelho, although they thought his first name was Dustin. When police responded they found a suspect who fit the description and tried to talk to him. Botelho approached the officer, but then bolted, throwing a backpack in front of a police cruiser, and throwing a black object on the ground as he ran. When the officers caught up to him, they found he had a small gun holster on his hip and a 9mm handgun clip in his pocket. A search of the area turned up a handgun magazine on the side of the road with several bullets nearby.
A woman told police that Botelho had allegedly threatened her because she wouldn't let him ride in her car. Botelho told police that he found gun magazines with bullets and a holster but no gun in the backpack that he says doesn't belong to him. He did admit to smashing out the car's rear window with one of the magazines.
He's charged with criminal mischief and refusing to submit to arrest and has pleaded not guilty.