LEWISTON — An Auburn man who held police at bay in a downtown apartment Monday had stolen a pistol from a Laase Avenue home, officials said Tuesday.
Scott Estes (Police handout photo)
Police confirmed with the owner of the .380-caliber gun that it was missing after police recovered the firearm in the 287 Bates St. apartment in which Scott Andrew Estes, 37, of 902 Lodge Court, Auburn, had barricaded himself.
No one was injured in the seven-hour standoff. A woman and child left the apartment shortly after Estes holed up there, Lt. David St. Pierre said Tuesday.
Police obtained an arrest warrant for Estes on a Class B charge of theft by unauthorized taking (a firearm), which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He also was charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, both Class C felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison.
He was held on a warrant for probation revocation.
Estes is expected to appear Wednesday in 8th District Court on those charges, but he won’t be able to enter pleas to those felonies. A grand jury must hand up an indictment on felony charges in order for them to proceed to trial or a plea.
According to the Maine State Bureau of Identification, Estes has a lengthy history of criminal convictions dating back to 1998. Eight felonies include robbery, trafficking in prison contraband, theft of a firearm and illegal possession of a firearm. He has been convicted of several misdemeanors and has violated probation and conditions of release many times.
Estes surrendered to police shortly before 6:30 p.m. Monday. He had been alone in the apartment. Police, who had a search warrant for the apartment, found a gun that matched the description of the gun taken from the Laase Avenue single-family home, St. Pierre said.
Police were tipped off that Estes had a stolen gun and was near the Bates Street address Monday morning. They spotted him as he was leaving the building shortly after 11 a.m. He darted back inside, leading to the standoff.
The apartment building was evacuated, as were nearby apartment buildings. Surrounding streets were cordoned off. Students were locked down at nearby schools for an hour and a half beginning at noon.
The Maine State Police Tactical Team was deployed at the site. Efforts to negotiate with Estes were initially unproductive, but he eventually turned himself in to police, St. Pierre said.
cwilliams@sunjournal.com
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